UtaPri Confessions
by HopefullyAnAuthor
Summary: My favourite chapter in any anime/manga is the confession one, and despite the beautiful UtaPri being one of my faves, and all the almostalmostalmost-NOOO! moments, there aren't any actual confessions. So I decided to write some myself. Please feel free to suggest any pairings/settings/themes you want to see! Sincere fluff, mostly.
1. OtoyaHaruka Autumn Sunshine

**Disclaimer: I do not own Uta no Prince-Sama or any of its characters. (Although I do have an unofficial license to marry all the guys someday and have 2D kids. Just saying.)**

**I love confession scenes, so let's have loads of 'em! (They're very good at avoiding them in UtaPri. *pout*) Any pairing/theme/setting suggestions? **

Pairing: Ittoki Otoya x Nanami Haruka Title: Autumn Sunshine

It was a Saturday afternoon, and the main street of the little town was quiet, but for the sound of the leaves drifting over the ground. There was not a soul in sight. All the shops were shut, their owners had grown too bored and too cold to continue waiting for non-existent customers.

A tall boy with red, messy hair and bright eyes walked down the street, his hands in his pockets and a guitar case slung over his back. He was humming to himself, and if anyone had been around to hear, they would have noticed that several times he corrected himself and restarted whatever song was running through his head. A little odd, perhaps, but not a bad thing. He had a sweet voice, with a warm smile in it.

Otoya ran his hands through his hair and then stuffed them back into his hoodie before they got too cold. He had to get the song right. This was too good an opportunity to waste, and he'd been planning it for weeks now.

He was meeting Nanami in the park, where they'd written their first song together, 'Brand New Melody'. Having been raised in a nursery-school, music had always been a huge part of Otoya's life. Ever since he was small he'd been singing, about things that didn't even make sense any more, like a spilled drink or a new pair of shoes he'd been given. This made the boy grin to himself. _That shoes song was terrible_, he thought, _How come everyone liked it so much?_

Otoya swung open the gate to the park and obediently shut it behind him. As he walked, he swung his feet and kicked some of the leaves into the air. His voice was louder now, he was la-ing the tune over and over again.

'Ittoki-kun!'

That was her voice. Clear, beautiful, radiant. Otoya immediately stopped singing and his heart beat faster. He hadn't been nervous a moment ago, why now? He looked up to see a figure waving at him by a park bench.

'Nanami!'

He walked just a little bit quicker, partly to lessen the awkwardness of her standing and waiting, but mostly just to get to where he wanted to be.

When he finally reached her, Otoya almost laughed.

'Nanami! Why are you wearing all that?'

Her large, sparkling eyes peeked out from the one tiny gap in her winter-wear. Otoya could see at least three scarves, several sweaters, a pair of enormous skiing trousers and a bobble hat, but hardly any of the person wearing them. She looked like a fat little penguin, arms sticking out over all her layers. It made him chuckle. Natsuki would have loved to see this.

'I was cold. And then Tomo-chan told me to wrap up warm, and I was already wearing lots of things, so I thought I should put them on just in case it was that cold. But now...'

Her head lowered in shame.

'What is it, Nanami?' Otoya was suddenly worried about her. She looked so sad, and-

'I'm too hot and I can't reach my zip to take this coat off.'

This time he really did burst out laughing.

Once they were sat on the bench, next to a small pile of coats and scarves, Otoya got his guitar out and started lazily strumming some chords. It was nice to be just the two of them, with the world spinning outside their small circle.

'So what was it you wanted to talk about again, Ittoki-kun?'

Otoya was visibly startled by this. He started rubbing the back of his neck and turned bright red, to match his flaming hair and eyes.

'Ummm, well you see, I wanted to talk to you since... No that's not right, er, I decided recently that... Scratch that, pretend I didn't say anything.'

He had been looking everywhere except her face, but now that he did he saw a smile lighten the delicate features. Her eyes were shut, and after a while Otoya noticed that she hadn't been listening to him anyway. He was, after all, still playing his guitar.

_The perfect opportunity..._

One more line run in his head, and then he took a deep breath and shut his eyes too.

_Every day the seasons change, step by step_

_It feels like all the colours blend until December,_

_Yes, every day I tell myself not to forget,_

_That day we met..._

_Words you say reach into me, one by one_

_Truly I could never leave, you are my sunshine_

_And I know you so well, and still I'd like to know you better..._

_Let's start from where we left off yesterday,_

_There's so much I didn't get to say,_

_My darling with your smile, we could _

_Chase away the rain_

_Every day with you, the sun comes out again!_

_Don't look back until we are far away,_

_Memories we have are the ones I always remember when I'm_

_Feeling alone, and still I know I'm never alone..._

_Let's start from where we left off yesterday,_

_There's so much that I still want to say,_

_My darling with your smile, we could_

_Chase away the rain,_

_Every day with you, the sun comes out again!_

_Let's stay this way, I'll chase away the rain!_

_Every day with you, the sun comes out again!_

And then, with one final strum of the strings, the song ended. Otoya opened his eyes, and saw Nanami's golden eyes beaming at him in delight. _That song was for you, Nanami. Did you know what it meant?_

'Ittoki-kun, that was beautiful! I... I... think I understand now.'

'Understand what? Was it so obvious?' he blurted before he had a chance to think about what to say.

'I love your lyrics, Ittoki-kun. They're always so full of life, and beginnings, my favourite kind of song.' She smiled, her cheeks just a tad pinker than before. 'I never want your beginnings to end!'

'Nanami...' _Now or never_, said the voice in Otoya's head. He stood up. 'That song was expressing what I really feel... You mean so much more to me than you could ever know.' He looked down at the ground, and his voice came out much more quietly. 'I...I'm in love with you, Nanami.'

As he stared at the ground, his own shoes and the leaves being gently blown about, the small scene changed. A pair of girl's shoes stepped into his circle of vision, and a voice whispered,

'Ittoki-kun... I thought you knew I felt the same way...'

_Felt the same way... I thought you knew I felt the same way..._

_Every day with you, the sun comes out again._

Otoya lifted his gaze to that of the girl in front of him. Nanami's eyes were just as transfixed as his own. He took in her whole face, her chin, her nose, her small mouth, her orange hair ruffled by the wind, and back to her eyes again.

No one was around to see their first kiss. The park was empty, and the sky clouded, but everywhere else, people started to notice the silver linings as the sun finally showed itself for what it was: a beginning.


	2. RenHaruka Truly, Sincerely

**OK, so confession number 2 will be...hmm... Another Haruka one, but with whom? (You've already seen the chapter title? Well, just pretend you **_**don't**_** know, alright?! Sheesh.)**

Haruka was confused. She'd left her key on the table by her desk, and then she'd picked it up and pocketed it, and then...

And then what? She had no idea, but just in case it would help, she started to panic, brushing down her dress constantly and nipping back and forth from the door to the table, the table to the door.

The table was empty of keys, there was no key in the door, the drawers were full of manuscript paper, there was still no key in the door, the floor under her desk was dusty, there was still no key in the door, her pocket-less dress was getting crumpled, Ren reminded her that there was still no key in the door, the lamp wasn't hiding any secrets-

Wait a second.

Haruka bumped her head on the lamp she was scrutinising and stared, feeling even more nervous than before.

Leaning against the doorframe was a tall, tanned young man with sleepy blue eyes and an unbuttoned collar. His long, amber hair was lazily hanging loose over his waistcoat, apart from that one stubborn lock that was insisting on framing his face perfectly. He smiled knowingly at Haruka, still clutching the lamp, and said in a low, smooth voice:

'Lady.'

Haruka dropped the lamp with a clatter and squeaked out a hesitant,

'Mm?'

'You must stop losing things. It's quite unladylike.'

Ren stood up, strode across her room and stared out of her window. Haruka was getting more and more nervous, she tried to put her cool hands on her cheeks to stop them blushing once Ren had turned away. Surely he'd noticed? But then again, maybe he was used to this sort of thing. He was 'the flirtatious one' in STARISH. Every magazine said so, and he never denied it. Girls were always following him around, drooling over his every word. Maybe she was just one more.

'Lady.'

Ren had turned around, standing in front of the window looking quizzically at her.

'Are you still worried about your key?' He laughed softly. 'I thought you'd have noticed that it was on your pillow by now.'

Haruka rushed over to the key, and put it in her purse. She bowed emphatically to the boy, ('Arigato gozaimasu, Jinguji-san!'), who just laughed again. Relief swept over her, and she flopped down onto her bed, reassuring herself that she knew where her key was now, it was OK.

Ren walked slowly over to her.

'Can I sit down?' he asked politely. Haruka nodded in surprise. She'd never known Ren to be so courteous before. Court_ing_ was more the usual.

His weight sank down on the bed next to her, and even though they were a friendly distance apart, Haruka could smell his scent. Shower gel, definitely, kind of a flowers-and-sandalwood smell, fresh and inviting. She tried not to be too conspicuous breathing it in. Ren himself was staring at the ceiling, far away in his own thoughts.

Haruka didn't often get to be this close to him. She loved it, but it didn't happen much, since they were always either both alone or with the rest of STARISH. And despite his flirtatious nature, he never really imposed himself upon her, or asked specifically to be alone together. Not sincerely at least. Not honestly.

She looked over at him timidly, admiring his face, his deep sapphire eyes, his neck and chest that she could just about see... Then she mentally slapped herself for being so curious about Ren's chest. _That's his business, not yours. Stop being weird!_

'How do you feel about playing the piano for me?'

'Mm?' Oh dear, again with the squeaking.

'I actually stopped by to tell you that I finished a song recently. I'd like you to hear it, Lady. I hope it steals your heart away.'

Interesting how the song wasn't necessary for that to happen. Haruka went over to the piano, and asked him for his music. He put three pieces of paper on the stand, and she quickly scanned them before launching into the song. She remembered this one, but her fingers almost stopped moving when Ren, standing behind her, started singing.

_Hey!_

_Of all the girls I've met in my time_

_There is just no one that compares to you._

_Hey!_

_Of all the conversations that have started new love,_

_I still haven't had the first one with you,_

_And I hope,_

_And I wish,_

_Truly love_

_Deep kiss!_

_I want you for my own, I'll keep you safe and close_

_You know you want to stay, truly love!_

_I can take you away from the bad bad days,_

_You know you can't stay away, truly love!_

_You are my only heart, I still treasure your laugh,_

_I know I want to stay, truly love!_

_They can try and replace, but I choose you anyway,_

_I know I can't stay away, truly, truly love!_

_Other girls may try too hard,_

_I may show all the wrong cards_

_But I cannot breathe another day alone._

_How your eyes they speak too soon,_

_I am reaching out to touch you,_

_But I cannot breathe until I really know..._

_I'm here with open arms, I'll promise anything,_

_Because you know what I want, truly love!_

_It seems so wrong to explain, just how much pain,_

_This desire's burning again, truly love!_

_I choose sincerity, I choose the thousand year wait,_

_Because I know what I want, truly love!_

_They can try to replace, but I choose you anyway,_

_Truly love! Broken heart! Say you'll stay!_

Haruka just kept blushing. His voice was so much fun, singing the bluesy chorus. When she gathered up the papers, she was all too aware of how he was still standing behind her, and quickly spun round.

'What did you think, Lady? Is it too...sensual? I'd be happy to change it, for you of course.' Ren winked at her, grinning his signature grin. The one the cameras went wild for.

'N-No, I thought it was great, actually,' stuttered our heroine, just a tad wonderstruck. He was just so...close to her now. Haruka's nose was just a few centimetres away from that ever-present lock of hair that made Ren's whole look so unique.

'I'MSORRYICAN'TDOTHISANYMORE!' she shouted, and pushed him away, out of her face where he could see into her eyes and know what she was thinking. Before she realised what she was doing, she was out of the room and down the stairs, running from the boy she was in love with, and not even sure why she wasn't stopping.

His eyes were so piercing, yet so soft. His arms were so strong, yet so welcoming. His voice was so rich, and still so tender. He had been singing, standing, right behind her. Haruka could feel herself blushing again, and as soon as she saw the bathroom, she dashed in and locked the cubicle door behind her.

'Haru-chan?'

She realised that she wasn't the only one in the girl's bathroom. Her best friend was here too, probably the only person who would understand her in this situation.

'Haru-chan, are you alright? Do you want to talk?' said Tomochika, from outside the door.

'Yes!' The word came out too high and too quick, it was so obvious that she was upset.

'Do you want me to come in? Or shall I wait?' She sounded concerned, but she didn't need to be, not really. Haruka was feeling slightly calmer already, just hearing Tomo-chan talking. She was always so grounded and sensible. She'd know what to do if her crush was standing that close.

'It's fine,' she answered, 'I'm coming.'

A sympathetic hug awaited her on the other side of the door, and Haruka gratefully accepted it. Then Tomochika held her at arm's length and asked,

'So who was it?'

'Huh?'

'Well, I knew this would happen someday. I'm surprised you didn't see it coming yourself, actually. Which STARISH member are you in love with?' She raised an eyebrow. 'Is it Ichinose-san?'

'No, no, of course not!' Haruka spluttered. She couldn't believe that Tomo-chan had guessed so easily what had happened. Did that mean that Ren could guess her thoughts too? what if he'd known the whole time? 'It's-'

'Oh no, don't tell me. I want to guess! Though I did think it was quite likely to be him.' Tomochika put a finger up to her chin and frowned prettily. 'Is it...Ittoki-kun? No, forget that, it's Natsuki, it has to be! But what if it's Syo? ...Hmmm. Hijirikawa-san maybe?' She gasped. 'Cecil-san! It has to be him! He's always saying he's in love with you!'

'But it's not! It's...It's Ren,' admitted Haruka, her voice fading as she said his name. 'He was singing one of my songs, with some lyrics he'd written, and I kept thinking it was for me... But that's what every fan feels like, isn't it? They all want to imagine that the song is especially for them, but they know that it isn't. I just...I just wanted it to be for me...so badly...'

Tomochika couldn't help but hug her again.

'Ren was the last person I thought you'd choose, you know that? Because you're so shy and he's so up-front about everything. But Haruka, you're being a little slow, don't you think?'

'What?' The huge eyes widened in surprise. 'What do you mean?'

'Ren doesn't hide his feelings. That's why he is the way he is. Sure, he enjoys being flirtatious, but we're all used to it now. If he felt strongly about what he'd written, then he wouldn't just pretend they were for anyone. Think about it, Haru-chan.' Tomochika grinned accusingly. 'I bet you just got a little carried away fantasising, huh.'

'Fantasi- What?!' Haruka was horrified, until her friend started laughing at her expression. At least she didn't have to worry about being an unconscious pervert.

'Get out of this bathroom, and tell the poor guy how you feel, Haru-chan! Out!' She gently pushed Haruka to the door and opened it. 'Just remember, he always means what he says.'

Ren was leaning outside Haruka's door. He'd thought it rude to stay inside when it was a girl's bedroom and the girl was no longer there. He reread his lyrics again. Were they wrong? He'd thought they were perfect, but what if Haruka had been disgusted by them?

It was true that some people hated Ren for his attitude to life. They disliked his vague way of talking, his careless way of dressing, but no matter how carefree he was, Ren wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what they thought of him. It wasn't hard to tell, in most cases.

But he hadn't thought that _she_ was like those people.

'Jinguji-san!' came a breathless voice from the top of the stairs. A panting Haruka followed it, her orange bob flying in all directions, and her eyes bright with energy. 'I've got something to say!'

'Lady,' he replied, ever the gentleman. 'I apologise for my lyrics if you disliked them, but I assure you I meant every word.'

For a moment she looked confused and nervous about what to say next, but then the resolve returned when Ren looked away from her. Her fists clenched, and chin raised a little higher than usual, Haruka began saying what it had taken her months to figure out she needed to say.

'Jinguji-san, I loved your song. Honestly, I loved it so much. It felt like you meant it. But that's not the problem. I'm the problem. I'm nervous about saying this to you, I'm terrified. I can feel my own heart pounding in my head. But I'll say it anyway.'

Ren stood up from the wall and looked Haruka straight in the eyes as she said the final words.

'That song made me realise that it was real. That my love for you was real, Jinguji-san.'

He walked slowly over to her, and put his arms around her waist, but just lightly. He could feel her shaking, but she was smiling up at him like she hadn't noticed.

Ren's voice in her's ear, a whisper, nothing more than a soft brush of his lips, said slowly,

'My song wasn't completely honest, you know.'

Haruka's eyes filled up with tears. She'd been wrong. She was just another fan girl to him, that's what he was going to say.

She was just about to pull away when the voice gently rolled over her again. Her favourite voice. Ren's voice, that could make her smile, and cry, and blush like anything.

'The chorus was wrong. I said "Truly love". It should have been, "Truly, I love you, Haruka."'

**OK! *Completely spoils atmosphere* Any pairing suggestions for next time? I've decided to do a song for each one, and they are my original lyrics. I have tunes in my head, and that one was very jazzy and catchy. Hope you liked it! Tell me what you thought, cuz I'd love to know! **


	3. SyoHaruka Only The Bravest

**Thanks for reading up to now, it's a little bit bonkers just how much it means that people actually enjoy the stuff I post here. (EEEPP PEOPLE READ MY *slaps self*) So, let's get on with the next one then. **

It was a chilly, dark night on a particularly uncomfortable Friday the 13th, and Haruka was walking down the empty halls, feeling worried. Scared half stiff in fact. Tonight was the night that everything would go wrong for her, she could feel it in her stomach. She didn't know for sure what would make this evening so terrible, but was dreading having to find out.

Everyone told her not to be superstitious about Friday the 13th. They all said it was just another day of the year, the date was complete chance. Even though she almost knew that they were right, Haruka just couldn't quite shake the feeling that today was a bad day.

Her soft ballet flat-style slippers padded across the expensive rugs of the huge Saotome Master Course building, and she didn't dare to let them make a noise. The towering ceiling felt even further away than it had before...Haruka was small, yes, but surely not that tiny.

Outside the windows, she could just make out the grey-black gardens, winding away into horrible murky labyrinths. She felt very shivery and afraid of the whole place, as though anyone could jump out at any moment and-

'Nanami!'

Haruka screamed, jumped back from the dark window and fell right into the arms of...

'Syo-kun?!'

The boy went bright pink (rather fitting really) and started to protest,

'No, I didn't mean to, you just fell so I thought I'd catch you, but not in that way I mean I'm sorry and everything, but this didn't mean anything OK so just...Nanami? Are you alright?'

She nodded and smiled, yes she was fine, but secretly felt very relieved that she wasn't alone any more. Syo was the perfect person to have around on this kind of night, so brave and considerate, she was sure he felt the same way about Friday the-

'Want to watch a scary movie marathon with me?' grinned Syo, holding up a set of four DVDs, each with its own gory-looking title and dark figure on the front.

'Huh?'

It was quite an odd little picture. A short, teenage boy wearing a cream-coloured fedora over spiky blond hair, a bold smile and blue nail polish offering her a night of absolute terror? Not exactly the most horrifying thing in the world.

Haruka couldn't help thinking that maybe with Syo around, the films wouldn't seem so bad. After all, she'd watched all his other action shows by herself, and though there had been a few cringing, hide-behind-the-sofa moments, they'd at least proved that he wasn't completely in it for the blood and guts. Perhaps these movies would be more adventurous than scary.

'Let's do it!' she said in a small, determined voice, emphasising the statement with a very unconvincing nod.

Syo looked a little shocked.

'Really?!' he exclaimed, and then started babbling again, '_No, I didn't mean it that way_ it's not like I thought you couldn't _handle_ it or anything, I just thought you'd be busy with someone else but _not like that_ I'd never think about you like that Nanami, you're just always so friendly to people...'

And so it went on, as they walked to Syo's room. She'd make a tiny comment, he'd answer casually and then amend the response with a thousand other conflicting ones. Haruka wasn't sure about Syo this evening.

_Maybe he really is scared of Friday the 13__th__ after all,_ she thought. It seemed to be the only explanation that made sense. He'd never been this way before, all nervous and apprehensive, it just wasn't like him. _Did I do something wrong?_

Syo's bedroom was empty of its usual occupants, Natsuki and Ai. He explained that Natsuki was at another _Piyo-chan_ promotion campaign, with a crazy director who liked working everyone extremely hard, and probably wouldn't be back until at least 12pm.

'He always gets so tired, cuz you know, Natsuki likes getting up early and stuff. I keep getting scared that he'll be so tired he'll forget his glasses, which means _I_ have to get up earlier than _he_ does.' Syo laughed, 'But I do that anyway, so it shouldn't really matter!'

As he was putting in the first DVD, _When the Night Took Over, _Haruka couldn't help but linger over how caring Syo was for his friend. _He's just as affectionate as Natsuki is, he just tries to hide it... But why?_

'Syo-kun?'

But the film had already started. As the first obviously ridiculous decision to 'split up to be safer' was made by the characters, Haruka could feel the butterflies in her stomach becoming more and more agitated. She clutched a cushion to her chest and squeezed it tight, but dared not ask Syo to turn the lights on. After all, it was his film, and he should enjoy it, right? _But why did it have to be such a horrible one? _

Syo, quite the contrary to Haruka's assumptions, was feeling more nervous than he ever had. Nanami was sitting right next to him, uncomfortably close. She seemed to be awfully wrapped up in the film, which he hadn't exactly expected from her. Otoya had told them all about the haunted house incident, even though they'd each guessed that something had been left out of _that_ story...

Not for the first time, Syo felt jealousy in the pit of his stomach. He was the short one. He was the cute one. He was the fiery one that always got everything messed up. He was the clumsy one. That was the start of his long list of reasons why he'd never work up the courage to be with Nanami.

_She'd never say yes, she's_ _worth so much more than me._

_She's worth so much more _to_ me..._

He watched the flickers of the screen bath Nanami's face in light, not even hearing the music blaring unsubtly from the speakers. She was so beautiful, every single day she made him catch his breath. That night at his first film set, sitting in the tower, she'd been stunning. Something she'd done or said had made him able to jump that gap, but he wasn't sure which, because he'd been too mesmerized by her whole being to even care.

For a moment, Syo wondered why she'd never decided or been asked to become an idol. She always talked about wanting to make people happy with her songs... But then he remembered just how shy she was. Yet another obstacle between them.

'Syo-kun!'

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Haruka grabbed Syo's hand. She needed something to hold on to, and the cushion wasn't helping any more, if it ever had been helping at all. Syo was brave, he'd understand.

_Oh god she's holding my hand, fingers touching, palms touching, she's holding my hand, does she know what she's doing right now, does she even get how much I've wanted this, no I haven't _wantedthis_ wanted this, just...she's _still_ holding my hand, she's holding my-_

Yes, Syo was brave. He'd know what to do. But the movie just kept on getting worse, and after the third brutal murder, Haruka finally gave up. Covering her face with the cushion, she said,

'Sorry, Syo-kun, but I can't keep watching this. Can we turn the lights on? I'm...I'm scared...'

The lights were on almost as soon as she'd said it. For half a moment, her host looked flustered, but then was back to his almost-normal self.

'That _is_ a pretty bad one. We probably shouldn't have started it like that, I suppose,' he said, looking a little guilty.

'Don't feel bad, Syo-kun. I can't deal with scary things anyway.'

Syo looked like he was recalling something painful, but then relented and sat down next to Haruka on the beanbags again.

'So what d'you want to do now?' he asked.

'Well,' Haruka began, but suddenly a yawn broke through her sentence and escaped into the room. 'Sorry, Syo-kun, but I'm kind of sleepy.'

Regretting every step, he guided her to the door and began to see her off down the hallway, but a few steps out, Nanami froze to the spot.

'Eeeeh? Nanami?!' screeched Syo, sprinting over and scrutinising her for whatever injury it was that made her act so strangely. She stood there, feet planted firmly apart below wobbling knees and a shivering spine.

'He's coming, isn't he? It's Friday the 13th, he must be! that guy from the film's gonna turn up any second now!' she whispered, half sobbing with sheer terror.

Syo, to his credit, did not leave his damsel in distress for much longer. He scooped her up in his arms and carried a very shaky Nanami back to his room to lie on Natsuki's bed, the bottom bunk.

'Thank you...Syo-kun...'she said softly, apparently drifting off to sleep.

'EEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH? No, Nanami, you can't sleep here this is a boys room and that's Natuski's bed and he'll need it and I'm still here and what am I supposed to do?!'

Once that was out of his system, he decided to make her comfortable. _What sort of idiot asks a girl like Nanami to watch horror films?_ he asked himself, almost immediately correcting the phrase 'a girl like Nanami' over a hundred times.

Syo took down his duvet and laid it over the sleeping girl, looking at her tenderly and trying to justify to himself that he wasn't creepy for watching her by accident. Sitting down with his back to her, he wondered what she was dreaming about. Or who?

'Probably Ittoki-kun,' he thought aloud, 'That's who she really likes isn't it? He's tall, funny, talented, he's nice to people all the time...' _They fit each other perfectly_, he finished off in his head.

Turning back to Nanami for a second, he couldn't help wondering what it would feel like to kiss her. She looked so thoughtful in sleep, perhaps even more so than when she was awake. Her lips would be soft, wouldn't they?

'But she wouldn't kiss you. You're short and supposedly cute, not handsome or tough, no matter how hard you try,' he said to himself roughly. 'Get used to it, Kurusu, you can't win against those other guys.'

'Hm, Syo-kun?' asked a sleepy voice from behind him. He whirled round, on his feet, going back over what he'd just said. How much did she hear? How much could she know?

'Who said you weren't as good as the others? You're in STARISH for a reason, you know...' She yawned again, and began to settle herself back to sleep, adding, 'You're the bravest, Syo-kun...'

_The bravest..._

The next morning, Haruka woke up in her own bed, befuddled with dreams of Syo and strange, humming knights in shining armour. She shrugged it off as just a dream, nothing more, and changed clothes before opening the door to leave for breakfast.

'Uwaaah! Nanami!'

'Syo-kun!'

The boy fell into her room backwards, having been leaning lightly against her door, waiting for her to get up.

'But I wasn't waiting that long cuz that would have been creepy and-' he took a deep breath and calmed himself before continuing, 'And I wanted to show you this song I just finished.'

Haruka gasped in surprise. A song? First thing in the morning, she was to have a new song from Syo of all people? Well, she thought, it is Saturday the 14th, after all!

_Boom-boom, boom-boom,_

_My heart is racing,_

_Every day I just keep running,_

_Boom-boom, boom-boom,_

_My heart is thumping,_

_Friends and enemies they just keep coming!_

_But when you said I was brave,_

_That might be my key to escape!_

_Yes, power rush and I'm flying freer than I ever did,_

_Maybe this time, I'll come and save you like I said I would,_

_Changing endings and skipping gates to the endgame,_

_Who needs winnings, after you told me that I was brave,_

_I'll never be the same._

_Not quite, there yet,_

_But don't stop, _

_You gotta keep going,_

_Run now, yes now,_

_Don't slow down, we're moving,_

_Can you tell I can't tell what I'm doing?_

_But when you said I was brave,_

_That might be my key to escape!_

_Yes, power rush and I'm flying freer than I ever did,_

_Maybe this time, I'll come and save you like I said I would,_

_Changing endings and skipping gates to the endgame,_

_Who needs winnings, after you told me that I was brave,_

_I'll never be the same._

_My princess, I know you best, you can always count on me,_

_Though it's true, I could lose everything._

_I can hear in my head, your voice is singing effortlessly,_

_And I hope my voice can show you how I see you shining._

_Yes, power rush and I'm flying freer than I ever did,_

_Maybe this time, I'll come and save you like I said I would,_

_Changing endings and skipping gates to the endgame,_

_Who needs winnings, after you told me that I was brave,_

_I'll never be the same._

When he'd finished the very last note, Syo knew that this was a now or never moment. A turning point. There she was, standing right in front of him, smiling and congratulating him on his lyrics.

She was just so beautiful.

And he felt so understanding of her in that one moment that it would have almost killed him not to do anything.

Haruka was so thrilled after hearing his song, that for once, she couldn't stop talking. When she was playing for him, she'd felt like they were completely in sync. No counting the beats in her head or even accompanying him. Somehow, they had clicked, and duetted perfectly.

'The bridge was wonderful, that build-up was so...It felt like you'd put absolutely everything into that chorus, Syo-kun, and I-'

Everything moved in slow motion.

Syo reached out, and took Nanami's face in his hands.

Haruka could feel him pulling towards her, and her heart started fluttering. She liked his touch, but was surprised at herself for not being afraid.

They danced into one another's arms, a king and a queen. He kissed her, with his eyes shut, so that he wouldn't know if she wanted to pull away or not. He tried to put his song into the kiss. Bravery, hope, rescue. Everything she'd given him. And then he rushed out, leaving the song sheets on the floor, beaming from ear to ear and thanking the ceiling.

Haruka touched her lips tentatively. She started to feel herself smile, and then tasted her own tears. She'd fallen in love for the first time, and she hadn't even realised it. She wondered if Syo knew.

**Phewph! (Just so you know, they only kissed, ok? Jeez. -_-;) These just keep getting longer every time! Again, thank you so much for reading this, and more to come! I like Syo, but he's always been a bit hard for me to decipher as a character, so I'd like to know if I did the right thing with him. Please feel free to tell me what you think and who you want next! **


	4. Author's Interlude: Thank you

**Here we are again, lovely readers! Thanks for staying with it this far! Feel free to skip this next bit, it's quite long. Enjoy the next chapter, this is just a little thank you from me. **

**I saw another author do this, and I thought it was awesome, so I'm gonna shout-out to (Orion!) some peeps who have motivated me to write more by clicking on things or typing things. **

**To everyone reading this, firstly, thank you for being bothered to read on. To me that's unbelievable, honestly. **

**Guys, you all have such cool names! How is my dumb profile name supposed to compete?!**

**To lunardusk and whoever the Guest reviewer is, thank you for being my first reviewers and telling me that it was good and to keep writing, and I hope you liked Syo's story. (No I haven't missed you out, M, I'll get to you later.)**

**Thanks to ayice04 for following the story, hope you enjoy what comes next!**

**To Penamesolen, thank you for favouriting and following my story, those two clicks mean so much to me. (I read your UtaPri story by the way, and it's genuinely awesome! I could picture everything, and it made me smile alot, especially Quartet Night hiding outside the door, so I decided to favourite something for the first time ever. ) **

**And finally to misohappynoodle, (told you I'd get to you) a huge thank you and an awkward laptop hug for doing all three of those things. \(^_^)/ **

**Happy reading/writing everyone, and let's get on with the next chapter, shall we?**


	5. CecilHaruka A Story of Her Beauty

**If you read (or were included in) that last bit, thanks for caring about what I have to say. If you didn't, I don't blame you, because you're reading the fourth confession, so I can't really hold anything against you. In Japan, 4 is an unlucky number because the word for it sounds similar to the word for death, and I am now ill with a cold and have more homework than time. But it isn't really me you want to hear about, is it? ;) Enjoy!**

'Aijima! Hurry up, we'll be late!'

Camus shook his head, sighing in irritation, and his breath blew his dark blonde hair about. Jeez, that kid was so slow all the time. He'd given up on banging on his door a while ago, now the only other option was to break it down if his pupil didn't get out of the dorm.

Cecil was probably still packing his things, knowing him he was doing long 'dances of worship' before putting each pair of pants in his suitcase. He had known that they had to hurry today, STARISH were flying out to a concert in Europe, their first ever. But no, he wasn't going to rush. Not for Camus, or anyone. The senior massaged his temples, holding back the urge to claw at his watch as it ticked past their expected departure time.

Their fame had quickly spread across the world, after their second single, Maji Love 2000%, had gone viral online, with thousands of screaming comments from fangirls of every nationality. ('I don't know what it means, but it's so sexy!')

Even though the other seniors were worried about their pupils getting swollen heads, Camus knew that that was the one thing he didn't have to be on the lookout for. Cecil had already gotten rid of his self-centred nature a short while after he'd been introduced to STARISH, (although Camus had a theory that the teasing wasn't the only reason for that) and he was quite used to the media and how to deal with them, being a prince. He was sensible and refined...

'I'm go-ing to Eur-ope to-daaaaaaaaay!'

In front of the cameras at least.

'Aijima! What time do you call this?' Camus snapped, holding up a hand to keep Cecil from answering. 'We're going to be late, do you realise that? You are not the professional I hoped you'd be, Aijima.'

Shaking his head and sighing, he shepherded his dazed pupil down the stairs and into the waiting bus, where the other members of STARISH and Quartet Night were already deep in conversation, asleep, listening to music, or (in Masato's case) doing sudoku.

Cecil couldn't understand it. Why was his senpai so tense all the time when there was so much to be happy about? So much to be grateful for. He sat in his seat by the window and stared out at the early morning sunrise.

He'd always loved nature and the outdoors, because there were no confusing rules there that one had to follow, and no one could shout at you or say you were doing something wrong by being there, whereas inside was where the complex web of society and manners mattered.

Suddenly a tiny flicker of movement disturbed his thoughts. Cecil blinked and tried to see past his own reflection in the window, peering into the greyish surroundings. They were driving along a road, just a normal motorway, with sparse greenery on banks either side of it in a futile attempt to look natural. There was no movement but for the cars beside them.

He sighed and began to settle back into his mind, when the movement caught his eye again. A flash of something bright. But it can't have been outside...There it was again! Cecil almost kicked himself for not realising beforehand. It was in the bus' reflection, of course! He had noticed it properly now. The shine was an eye, blinking back at him, but it wasn't his own.

Cecil would have known that eye anywhere. Large, golden-yellow, almost green on the outside, and darkening to orange around the pupil. He gazed helplessly at the reflection of the girl sitting in front of him, staring out of the window just as he had been.

Nanami Haruka. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever met. She was the only one as full of emotion as he was. She had broken his curse with her music and her compassion. Being her cat had been wonderful. Being her friend was even better. And yet...

He watched her thinking, silently praising her every breath, until he had a small brainwave. Tap tap tap! Cecil made sure the sound was only just loud enough for her to hear, but not noticeable to any of the other passengers. Tap tap tap!

This time Haruka noticed him, and smiled in recognition. She waved, and then let out a yawn. He laughed softly, returning the wave, and then mouthed the words,

'Is it too early for you?'

She screwed up her face in misunderstanding.

'What?' she mouthed back.

'Is...it...too...early?' He went through each word as slowly and clearly as he could, but the girl in the window still didn't understand.

Cecil bit his lip and wondered what he could do. He sifted through his backpack, beside him on the seat, and eventually found something useful: a notepad and pen. His basic Japanese characters weren't very good, and his kanji were shaky at best, but he managed to scrawl out on the top line of the next blank page in the pad,

_Is it too early for you? You look tired._

He passed the paper through the small gap between Haruka's seat and the window, and waited while she read and (hopefully) answered it. She'd understand the game. Haruka was the only one who had really understood Cecil from the start, the other members of STARISH had taken alot of convincing before accepting him. He treasured their friendship above many things, but Haruka...

_I stayed up way too late... Sorry, I know I look terrible this morning._

Cecil frowned and looked back at the reflection again. She hid her face in her hands, with only her eyes peeping out, comically worried about her appearance now.

He didn't know what she was talking about. Haruka was perfect. She looked a little sleep-tousled, but then so did everyone on early journeys. No one had been expected to dress up for this; it was just a necessary thing to have to get up early.

_I was talking about your yawn, Haruka, _he wrote back, _There's nothing wrong with how you look._

This time the reply came back very quickly. Cecil took the notepad from her delicate hand, feeling very aware of the body-heat from her fingers.

_Yes there is! You're very kind, Cecil-san, but I can see for myself that I'm a mess today! I'm never pretty, but today's particularly bad._

How could she write this? It was all complete nonsense, as if she'd decided to put his thoughts in complete disregard. Hadn't he ever told her she was beautiful? Hadn't he said that she was his love? Never pretty... As if that were true! He felt irritated, but wasn't sure if he should be annoyed with himself or her. The only option was to try and express that in the Japanese script that he _did_ know how to write...

_I hope you don't think that. You are absolutely flawless whenever I see you, so please don't insult yourself. _

Cecil could see her reading his message, and judging by her expression, either he'd said something incredibly rude, or she felt heartbroken after reading that, for whatever reason. She may have understood him better than anyone else, but when it came to Haruka, he was never quite sure what to make of her answers. So he usually just acted on impulse.

The sun outside the bus came out from behind a cloud, and pale, clear morning light spilled over Haruka's features, making her reflection harder to see. Cecil had to move forward to make it out clearly. There was no one watching him, everyone else was asleep by now. The only voices he could vaguely hear above the engine were Ranmaru and Reiji, arguing playfully over something.

Haruka's reflection was now almost right next to his own. The golden eyes and the deep green eyes, the pale and dark skin tones, the straight orange locks, so easily ruffled in the wind, and the muddy-brown hair atop Cecil's own head.

They sat, side by side in the window, and Cecil could imagine the real Nanami being that close. She had been near to him before, but this was different. It was that same feeling he got when he thought about being her friend. He wanted to be closer than anyone else, and his own selfishness scared him a little.

How could anyone need someone else so much? He could feel himself sinking into his own emotions, drinking them in and lusting after more memories and music that she could give him.

Finally, Haruka's hand reached back through the gap, and passed him the pad and the biro.

_Thank you, Cecil-san. But I still don't believe you._

Cecil nearly gasped at what he saw below those few words. It was a list. A whole list of things, parts, that Haruka thought weren't good about her body. It was actually quite detailed, a couple of parts of it were more personal than he'd expected from her, but he read on. If she'd wanted him to see this, then he had to.

_Lips, neck, arms, thighs, feet, knees, eyes, cheeks, shoulders, stomach, waist, ears._

In his mind, Cecil was trying not to picture too closely each part that he knew about, and struggling not to imagine what the unknown parts could look like. He couldn't picture a more perfect Haruka than the one he knew. There was only one, and he couldn't understand how she didn't see that she was who he would devote his life to.

She was who he'd devote his life to. There was no better way of putting it. He'd tried, 'You're my goddess,' and he'd had a go at, 'Thank you, my princess, for rescuing me.' Cecil didn't even want to think about what had happened when he'd said, 'I love you, Haruka.' Of course, he'd say it all again, and gladly, but it hadn't been right.

When he eventually pushed his reply through the gap, and her hand pulled at the paper, Cecil suddenly grasped it. He had seen her gasp, and she looked straight at him in the reflection, very confused and even a little afraid.

He closed her hand around the pieces of paper, and, holding her gaze, pressed his lips to it, as though she were a lady from a far off country he had met at an Agnapolis ball. They stayed that way for a while, and it felt still, like a stopped clock or an empty glass.

As she unfurled the song, her eyes widened. Cecil saw her lips form the words,

'My song!' even though she said nothing aloud. He watched her eyes flick through the lyrics, nodding her head almost imperceptibly to the imaginary beat, and smiled. She'd understand now. Not him, but herself. He wanted her to understand herself.

_You believe you cannot be what you truly are,_

_Feel the world move, the world move,_

_You believe you can't just talk to anyone that asks,_

_Feel the earth move, sing when we move._

_Each and every part I see breaks the sky in pieces, to me_

_You are a skyline that'll never grow old._

_Counterparts and melodies, each a lasting memory,_

_Yours is a story being told._

_In you I see a starlit sun,_

_Feel us move, the earth will move,_

_You think your future's impossible to win,_

_Feel the earth move, sing when we move._

_Each and every part I see breaks the sky in pieces, to me_

_You are a skyline that'll never grow old._

_Counterparts and melodies, each a lasting memory,_

_Yours is a story being told._

_And all the dances you will dance with me make the world seem distantly_

_Waiting for a time when we never shall part,_

_So let me show you, melody, every future memory,_

_Your beauty in the beauty of your heart._

_You cannot choose but love yourself, _

_Feel your life move, let the sky move,_

_Every day is danced for someone else,_

_I feel our lives move, sing when we move._

_Each and every part I see breaks the sky in pieces, to me_

_You are a skyline that'll never grow old._

_Counterparts and melodies, each a lasting memory,_

_Yours is a story being told._

_And all the dances you will dance with me make the world seem distantly_

_Waiting for a time when we never shall part,_

_So let me show you, melody, every future memory,_

_Your beauty in the beauty of your heart._

She looked up from the paper, tears streaming silently down her face. Cecil could only smile and offer his hand, ready to take hers in his own through the tiny, awkward gap.

But she didn't let him. Instead of giving Cecil her hand, Haruka kissed it, just like he had done, as the aristocracy would do. It was so unexpected that he laughed out loud. She began to smile into the kiss, and somehow to Cecil it seemed that this made her cry still more.

'You know what you said about the earth moving? The refrain, in each verse?' she asked softly. He was leant in so close to her chair that he could hear her whispers fairly clearly. 'When you first sang to me, that's how it felt. Like... like a turning point. A change.'

He nodded.

'That's what I wanted you to see. You changed me, Haruka.' Cecil smiled wryly at the window. 'I know I've said it before, but if I didn't mean it then, or understand it, I do now. I love you.'

'Cecil-san...?' The tears had started again, and the words came between very quiet sobs this time. 'I...I love you...too...'

Cecil's heart was beating at a thousand miles an hour. This love he'd suddenly found, on a tour-bus to the airport, at 8am on a Tuesday morning, was so much better than whatever his feelings had been.

His rude, untimely devotion was gone.

What remained in his heart was her.

**That one felt harder to write than the others, I hope it doesn't read that way. The situation was...weird, to say the least, but I started it with Camus, and pictured something happening on the bus. I didn't realise the whole story was going to be on the bus, though. :/ Anyway, please tell me what you thought, who you want to see next and if you read this and hated it, let me know why so I can try and improve it. Once again, thank you for reading! **


	6. NatsukiHaruka The Waiting Man

**Hi again, tout le monde. (Look at me, all multicultural. It's so cool knowing that people around the world are reading my mush, thank you very much.) I had a request from a guest reviewer for you-know-who, and it seemed like the right thing to do anyway, so here you are, confession number *counts on fingers then pretends nothing happened* 5!**

The huge hall was completely packed with people, all shuffling in their expensive seats and muttering to one another. The whispers filled the air with a tense atmosphere, expectant and impatient for something, anything, to go either badly wrong or superbly well. Any huge crowd will expect both of these things at once; and it would only take one grumbling father to turn this kind of audience into a mob.

There was a camera crew there, with the television producers, eager for promotion, barking out instructions at their teams incessantly for the equipment to be arranged just so. Teas and coffees were being inhaled just as often as the steamy air surrounding their polystyrene cups; tension was high and rising ever higher.

And behind the heavy green curtains, the stage was being set. Men and women in all-black uniforms were scurrying here and there, putting things down and picking them up; and then hearing from their peers that the previous position had looked far better.

The young make-up artist was the only one not overly stressed out. Her task had been a simple one: make the performer ready for the cameras. But when she'd met the performer in question, she had realised that it would take just a few daubs of light and dark powder in the right places, and she'd be finished. So she had then decided to get to know him a little better.

'So, how long have you been playing the viola, Shinomiya-san?' asked Reiko casually.

'About fourteen years, I suppose,' answered her blonde 'task', 'I've just always played music, and sung it.'

'Odd choice, though, viola,' pressed Reiko, 'I mean, why not the violin? Isn't that what would make you really famous in the classical world?' She didn't understand why someone so talented wouldn't just take the easier option. 'You could lead orchestras, perform...what are those things called?'

'I think you mean concertos,' grinned the boy, and the woman was struck by his handsome face all over again.

Natsuki Shinomiya was a make-up artist's day off. His tall, muscular frame set off any clothes he put on in the best light possible; he was skinny in all the right places. He had a well-shaped face, soft and friendly because of his easy expression, but a strong jaw-line and slim neck. (Reiko hated making people's necks out to be skinnier than they were, it was so tedious.) His lips were full, yet refined and, of course, always smiling; and Reiko still couldn't get over his beautiful eyes. They shone deep green behind his oval-shaped glasses, like gems when they caught the light. This moment they were still and pensive. Hypnotizing.

'Hmm...I think it's the sound of the viola,' Shinomiya said spiritedly, 'It has such an unusual range. There's something wonderful about having such highs and lows in one single instrument, don't you think, Rei-chan?'

'Rei-chan?'

Before Natsuki had time to explain, he was dragged out onto the stage and his tuxedo was brushed down roughly by a man in all-black, who hissed at him where to stand and what to say when.

Pity he hadn't had time to keep talking to Rei-chan. She had seemed so nice and friendly, like they were close buddies already! Natsuki loved making new friends like nothing else. Well, apart from Haru-chan, of course. But that was a given.

Was she in the audience tonight? She'd promised she would be, and he'd never known Haru-chan to break a promise.

Numbers were being shouted out around the set, counting down to the moment when the curtain would open to reveal the famous Natsuki Shinomiya from STARISH, performing an original sonata on his own viola. The crowd outside were settling down as the lights dimmed. Packets of sweet things were being passed around hurriedly, and the murmuring slowly faded away.

Then the curtain opened, and Natsuki bowed low to the applause the audience showered over him. He smiled readily, and lifted his viola to his chin, resting it comfortably and tuning it. It didn't take long, and then he was ready to play.

In the fourth row from the front, at the far left hand side, a small girl held her breath for him. She traced the kanji for 'person' over and over again, across her palm, to steady her nerves. She was going to hear him play his viola for the first time, and she felt so full of feeling that she could burst, that she was sure she _would_ burst when his bow touched the first string.

But she didn't.

Natsuki was flying through the music, his fingers dancing up and down the fingerboard; but he half wasn't thinking about the music at all. He knew that this was when he was playing at his very best; when he was so absorbed in the music that he himself could drift through his own thoughts. He was playing the piece with all his heart; the trick was not to realise how much work was being put in.

So he started thinking about Haru-chan instead. The light melody captured her innocence and childishness so well, spinning through the phrases like her laughter. When the second movement slowed everything down, Natsuki could picture her deep in thought, troubled by something perhaps. He hoped that the imaginary problem wasn't down to him. Then the last movement, Natsuki's favourite: Haru-chan in love. This movement didn't actually involve Haruka being in love with anyone; it was more of an expression of Natsuki's feelings for her, and how he'd feel if she felt the same way.

Time after time it had seemed to Natsuki that Haru-chan had found out something to do with him that scared her. Despite his energy, he was very observant when it came to the girl he was in love with. He knew he would someday find out what that fear was, and she'd be the one to tell him.

The final phrase came to a close, and Natsuki once again bowed to the applause of the crowd, smiling from ear to ear and thinking about how kind and sweet they all were for coming. When he noticed any children or babies in the audience, he waved at them, struggling not to rush down and squeeze them for being so cute!

The girl could see all this and saw much more. She noticed every gesture he made; every word he said she could hear as clearly as though he were beside her. One day she'd tell him how much she could see in him, how much she admired and loved him. But not today. She just kept on clapping.

When everyone left soon afterwards, Haruka made her way to the stage door. It was a cold evening; the amber streetlamps gave the city streets an odd, ethereal harmony of light and shadow all blurred into one another. Most of the audience didn't notice this, since they had lived in urban places all their lives, but to Haruka this lightened-darkness was new.

There was a man leaning against the door smoking a cigarette, and she politely asked him if he could find Natsuki for her. He shrugged and took another long drag, before stubbing it out completely and going indoors.

Haruka shivered, and coughed a little after he was out of earshot. She still hated smoking, even though she'd had to get used to it after moving to the city; it was all too common a sight to see a group of young workers coughing out smoke like chimneys, and it made her feel so sad for them. _It always sounds so painful, the coughing, _she thought.

'Haru-chan! You came, that's so kind of you! Oh, wow, your dress is _so kawaii, ne?_'

Suddenly she was engulfed in one of Natsuki's bear-hugs. He squeezed her tight, as though he was a little girl himself with a new ragdoll; Haruka could feel herself turning very red, but was unsure whether it would even show: under those lamps, everything looked yellow anyway.

'Your playing was amazing,' she said once he'd allowed her to breathe again, 'I had no idea that you wrote classical music _and_ pop songs, Shinomiya-san!' She put her head on one side, causing half of her orange bob to hang in mid-air. 'Do you compose in the same way both times, or is it harder to do one than the other?'

'I love writing both! Most people like to pick either classical or pop music nowadays, but whichever one they don't choose, they miss out on,' answered Natsuki, still clasping her hands in his own, which Haruka was very much aware of.

'The best thing to do is find music from every genre that you like, because there always _is_ some, even if it's only one song. I only learn from what I like, but I make sure that I like as much as possible!

'Speaking of pop songs,' he added, his face lighting up as an idea came to mind, 'I finished something of yours just recently! I'd love you to hear it, Haru-chan.'

'Of course!' What else could she say to the boy of her dreams, who was holding her hands and smiling with those glittering green eyes? She knew she would love what he wrote more than anything else. Apart from Natsuki himself of course. But that was a given.

He led her through a short corridor and out onto the stage, and the sight took Haruka's breath away. The feeling of being on the raised set, looking out at the hall, was very different to that of watching a show; she felt completely exposed, and, if even one other person had been there, she wouldn't have ventured out from behind the curtains.

'How do you deal with this?' she asked aloud. 'Every time you perform you're out here, in front of so many people... Why would you all keep on doing this, every night for months, like you do?' Her voice rang out, amplified by the room's specially designed acoustics, and Haruka backed away from the sound. _It's too loud, people might hear! ...Why would you _want_ them to hear?_

'I still don't know the answer to that one.'

'Huh?'

'Why I like performing,' said Natsuki thoughtfully. 'I still don't quite know. Part of it is about wanting to make an audience happy, that's a big part of it. It's also because performers like attention, but then again Syo-chan says that that's not always the case.'

Haruka laughed at his puzzled expression. No, Syo was definitely not a fan of too much attention, or rather affection, on Natsuki's part.

'Do you want me to play for you?' she asked, feeling much more at ease. 'I don't mind, if you have the music.'

'That's so nice of you, Haru-chan, but I decided I'd continue playing for you this evening. I don't have the music anyway,' he added quietly, picking up his viola from its case, 'This song is one I'll always remember.'

She watched as he placed his bow on the string, and a small tremble rocketed up her spine when the music began. It was a simple song, with the viola adding both accompaniment and harmony to Natsuki's voice; and Haruka couldn't help but clap along to the beat after hearing a few lines.

_This is a song that I wrote for you,_

_For the bells up above and the melody too,_

_Because I wanted a song that I could use to say_

_This is the tune and I made it up,_

_I hope you like it; it's not that hard,_

_But every time I play it, I want to say:_

_I haven't had much time to tell you_

_Just how long ago it was that I fell in love with you,_

_It hasn't been so easy,_

_But I thought that you should know, because after all,_

_It's you that I'm in love with._

_Remember when and remember how?_

_I do each day and I'm writing down_

_Each minute that I spend here in my head,_

_You may not even understand,_

_But that's ok for the waiting man,_

_It's enough to know that you heard me when I said,_

_I haven't had much time to tell you_

_Just how long ago it was that I fell in love with you,_

_It hasn't been so easy,_

_But I thought that you should know, because after all,_

_It's you that I'm in love with._

_I haven't got a word to tell you_

_Just how glad I am that I fell in love with you,_

_It's never felt better,_

_And I wanted you to know, because after all,_

_It's you that I'm in love with._

_Like I said, I am the waiting man,_

_I'll stay beside you for as long as I can._

_The purple skies and golden eyes are _

_What I'll miss the most_

_If you say no,_

_Before you say no, just know:_

_I haven't had much time to tell you_

_Just how long ago it was that I fell in love with you,_

_It hasn't been so easy,_

_But I thought that you should know, because after all,_

_It's you that I'm in love with._

_I haven't got a word to tell you_

_Just how glad I am that I fell in love with you,_

_It's never felt better,_

_And I wanted you to know, because after all,_

_It's you that I'm in love with._

_After all this time,_

_It's you that I'm still in love with._

Haruka stared at him, open-mouthed. She had expected a beautiful song, of course, Natsuki was a great composer, but she'd dreamed of this; the only difference being that she'd thought up her own lyrics to the song and sung them to Natsuki.

He gazed at her for a moment, smiling with those deep green eyes, before loosening his bow and packing away his viola in a contented silence. He'd finally said it to her, he'd said it all.

But Haruka didn't feel contented in the slightest. She was terrified of what might happen. What if she ruined this moment by saying something stupid, or what if they kissed? What if they _didn't_ kiss? He'd obviously thought it all through, but she had no idea what _her_ part was. She'd probably left it too long to say anything by now, but there was so much she was too scared to say...

Then she saw it.

A single tear fell onto Natsuki's viola case.

He reached up behind his glasses to wipe it away, but in doing so, they fell with a small _clack_ to the floor.

Haruka gasped as Satsuki Shinomiya rose from his crouch and narrowed his eyes at her.

'So, it seems Natsuki got to you first, Nanami Haruka,' he growled, stepping slowly towards her, those emerald eyes flashing with menace.

'Satsuki-san!' she squeaked, feeling much more worried than she had around his sweeter counterpart. Falling in love with Natsuki was one thing, but dealing with his dark side was something else...

'Let's see how much you love him, then,' said Satsuki terribly, sweeping Haruka into his arms and pressing his face forward into hers. She could feel his cool breath on her nose, and his arms were like bars, caging her into his embrace. On one hand, Haruka felt strangely elated that Natsuki (sort-of) was hugging her, but on the other, she knew that Satsuki was far too close for comfort.

'You know,' he said harshly, glaring at her, 'You're not strong enough for Natsuki. Only I can protect him. You've already upset him, and you haven't even said anything yet!'

'I was going to!' she protested, pushing her way out of his arms, 'I'm in love with Natsuki! He's one of the strongest people I know!' Her cheeks flushed red as she looked Satsuki right in the eyes.

'He's good, and kind, and so brave for singing that song, and he doesn't need you anymore!'

'You don't know anything!' shouted Satsuki, furious now, 'You don't know what he's thinking! I'm the one who's been taking the blows for him, whenever he's been sad or angry.

'Oh yes,' he cut Haruka off, 'He's so often sad now that it's hard to keep track of the times you've broken his heart. It happens every time he sees you, something tears apart inside him. But you're not interested; in fact, you're far too busy for him. You don't love him at all!'

Tearing apart? Haruka was horrified. What was Natsuki going through? Her love for him was strong, but soft and admiring; she couldn't imagine another type of love, not for Natsuki anyway...

'No!' she yelled, suddenly sure of herself. She rushed over to the viola case and snatched up the glasses before Satsuki realised what she was doing. 'Natsuki's hurt right now, but I can change that!'

Haruka, in an unexpected burst of self-confidence, strode over to her worst nightmare, Satsuki Shinomiya, and kissed him full on the lips for three whole seconds.

He was so startled that when they broke apart, he didn't lift a finger to stop Haruka ramming the glasses back into place.

Natsuki blinked and just managed a small, confused,

'Haru-chan?' before she started kissing him again; and his arms slowly reached up to hold her close. Finally, they understood one another.

_After all this time,_

_It's you I'm still in love with._

**Thanks for reading, as always. It's so much fun for me to write these, and I hope you enjoy reading them just the same. I have it on good authority that my writing style has improved since confession numero uno, but any constructive criticism is welcome, since there's always room for improvement. **

**Finally, the age-old question: who shall confess to Haruka next? (I have now planned which order the rest of STARISH are going in, but if you like I could do a different series of these for other pairings, Quartet Night or yaoi maybe? Just a thought.) Thanks again, and the next one will hopefully soon appear! **


	7. MasatoHaruka Still Daydreaming

**Hi everyone. Hope you're all doing well. This is the penultimate STARISH confession, and I want to thank everyone for reading once again, whether you clicked on things or not. It's been so much fun for me to write these, and I'm still toying with the idea of initiating a yaoi reboot... What do you think?**

'So are any of you guys coming? It'll be fu-un!' wheedled Otoya, sidling up to a displeased looking Tokiya.

'I'll come, Icchi!' cried Natsuki excitedly, 'And so will Syo-chan!'

'What?! Since when did I say I'd go?!'

'You have to come, Syo-chan! I want to see you all dressed up!'

Masato sighed, and leaned back into the couch, already knowing what _his_ answer would be. Of course he wasn't going to go to some house party; surely Ittoki-kun knew that. There were things to plan and prepare for, he didn't have time; and besides, house parties weren't his sort of thing.

Shinomiya would go, obviously, and therefore Kurusu would go too, pretending all the while that he didn't want to be there. Ittoki was inviting them, so he'd be there, and being his roommate, Ichinose would be obliged to attend. Cecil would go, being curious about parties. And then Jinguji...

Ugh. Masato was disgusted to even think about how he'd behave at such an event. He was always so smooth it was sickening, even around boys. He'd probably be the toast of the party, knowing how outrageous he was. Masato wondered briefly how many more girls would fall for him tomorrow night.

No matter, as long as they weren't _her_. _She _wouldn't be going to any parties with them, would she? Surely not.

'Masato-kun?'

Ittoki's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

'Hm?'

'I was just asking if you'd like to come? To Rei-chan's housewarming party on Friday night?'

He seemed to expect a yes, bribing him by saying it was Kotobuki throwing the party. Well, Masato had no ties to him, he hardly knew the senior.

'I'd rather not, thank you,' he answered quietly. The other boys groaned, and Natsuki even pouted. 'What? I'm busy that evening.'

'We all are, but it's just one night off,' said Syo indignantly.

'Did I say something to offend you? Is it my fault?' asked Ittoki, looking worried.

'It's nothing like that.' Masato frowned down at his hands. 'I just don't want to go, that's all.'

'Scared, are you?' Ren folded his arms and smirked at him. 'I thought you would be. All those strangers, so many females...' He sounded so careless, but his smug expression would have been hard to miss.

'Apologies, Ittoki-kun. Like I said, I'm busy that evening.' He shot his rival a glare, and left the room in silence.

'Oh, well done, Ren,' said Tokiya sarcastically, 'Ittoki got his hopes up for that party, you know.'

His roommate looked deflated, staring at the half-open door with huge puppy eyes.

'Frankly, I think I did you all a favour,' shrugged Ren, 'He's so boring in public places. I should know. What?' he added, after taking in the two pleading faces, the two annoyed frowns and Cecil's confused stare.

'Fine.'

Masato was walking down the halls, wondering if there was any way he could make it up to Ittoki-kun. There hadn't been any nicer way of putting it: he was too busy for something like a house party. He had grades to keep up, and they weren't going to improve themselves.

And, although Masato would never admit it, Ren was half-right. He was scared, not of the prospect of new people (he'd had to quickly get over _that_ particular fear after becoming an idol), but of the house party itself.

He didn't mind dancing, if there was a routine. He didn't mind drinking, if it was responsibly. He didn't mind talking to girls, well, not really. But he'd rather be doing something else.

'Hey, Hijirikawa!' called a voice from down the hall. Masato turned, and saw Ren walking slowly towards him, the usual smirk on his face and one hand in his pocket.

'What do you want?'

'Oh, me? Nothing. Except-' he added as Masato began to turn away, 'About the party.'

'I said I wasn't going.'

'I know you did, I'm just telling you what I thought you'd like to know.' Ren's tone was as careless and denying as ever. 'This party means alot to both STARISH and Quartet Night.'

'If you're trying to guilt-trip me-'

'Let me finish,' said the smug voice, 'And as it is so _very_ important, there will be certain guests there with...relations to the two groups. A certain young composer, for example. Just a thought.'

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Masato to clench his fists with anger. How dare that bratty moron try to manipulate him into going? Who did he think he was? He'd already made up his mind anyway, and nothing was going to change that. He had work to do that evening, and if he did go to this thing, which he wouldn't, he'd have no extra time to do it.

Masato had already started pacing down the corridor again, taking long strides in order to vent some of his rage through movement.

He didn't need any parties to be able to talk to the rest of STARISH; there was no reason why this particular event could mean so much to any of them. It would be loud, and he'd lose sleep, and he'd look like a snob because he didn't want to drink as much as everyone else. People did drugs at these kinds of things, didn't they? Bad pictures found their way online, and humiliation was almost certain.

_But what if _she_ was there?_

Masato stopped walking. His hard glare suddenly softened into a helpless expression of worry.

_Nanami Haruka. _

He could picture her in front of him: her large, curious eyes with their flecks of gold that shone when she smiled, her sweet-smelling hair, her small, slim figure, her pale neck, her hands that had played the piano with him. If Masato had had to choose the part of Haruka that he loved the most, he would have said her hands. He could hardly speak to her, his emotions were so strong that whatever he did say, he'd criticize himself for it afterwards.

But he could always sing for her. And it filled him with such unspeakable joy whenever she played for him.

What if she really _was_ going to the party? She wouldn't be safe among the noise and strangers. Granted, she knew the two boy bands well enough, but they'd all be occupied at _some_ point. (Masato frowned again as he skimmed over what they could be 'occupied' with.) He couldn't just let her be put in such a vulnerable position, it wasn't gentlemanly. But he was just so busy that he couldn't spare even one evening...

Could he?

'I hope you know I've now got permission to gloat about this for the rest of the month.'

Masato looked stubbornly out of the passenger window of Ren's silver jag, wishing that he had asked someone else for a lift.

_It was far too late to look for any of the others_, he justified himself, _and_ _you couldn't have found one of them quick enough. It's not your fault you're roommates, after all, he's always around..._

He still regretted having to ask for a lift from Jinguji though. He would almost definitely cash in on those gloats as soon as the party was over.

'Whoa. Nice place they have,' commented Ren, as they caught their first glimpse of Quartet Night's new house. It was huge, almost certainly a mansion, and painted pale blue. Masato could see lights flashing in every window. The driveway was full of sleek sports cars, but they managed to find a parking spot near the open door, where a of security guard was standing firm against two protesting girls who weren't on the guest list.

The second that Ren turned the engine off, Masato got out of the car. He hadn't been sure what to wear, so he'd decided to stick with what usually did the trick: a collared shirt, black suit trousers and a sweater, this time navy blue with a silver hem.

Ren, on the other hand, was being as outrageous as ever, wearing tight leather leggings and a shimmering gold top with a very low neckline, exposing the top of his chest for the entire world to see.

As soon as the girls caught sight of them, they started blushing and giggling to one another, stealing furtive glances at the two gorgeous young men getting out of the jag. One of them walked straight up to the security guard; and said smoothly,

'Jinguji Ren. My friend in the blue is Hijirikawa Masato.' He looked over at the girls, raising an eyebrow. 'I think you'll find that these two are with me. Right, ladies?'

Masato could have slapped him for being so rude and superior. These weren't just dolls for him to play with; they were women with lives of their own. And yet Ren had already twined the girls and the bouncer around his little finger.

'If you say so, sir,' answered the guard, and motioned them all indoors. He was probably just tired of arguing with them anyway, Masato thought.

Within seconds, Ren had disappeared into the crowds of people on the other side of the door. The music was loud, there were coloured lights flashing here there and everywhere, and the whole place smelt of adrenaline and perfumed sweat.

Masato paused by the door, wondering what to do next. He was completely out of his comfort zone, and he couldn't recognise anyone. Peering into the room, he could make out the mass of people inside, but not what any of them actually looked like.

'Hey, Masato-kun! You came!'

Otoya was suddenly in front of him, along with Cecil and four others that he didn't know. They all looked full of energy, and ready for hours of dancing, or whatever else people did at these things.

'Do you know where Nanami is?' Masato asked over the thumping bass.

'Nanami?' Otoya looked puzzled. 'Upstairs I think... Some boy wanted to talk to her, said he wrote songs too.' The others nodded clumsily.

Masato was suddenly full of panic. This was just what he'd been afraid of. Some stranger suddenly deciding to take her under their wing ...but what if she liked him back? He'd never thought of that, and he wouldn't have half a chance if she did. He'd have to watch her fall in love with someone else, and his fists clenched at the prospect. _Not after so long..._

Then his heart jumped into his mouth as he remembered the other possibilities: what if she _didn't_ like him back? She could be in any sort of danger right now, and no one was with her to stop whatever it was from happening.

Masato rushed up the stairs, losing any cool he might have previously tried to retain. His worries kept on spinning through his head, in a long string of 'what if's, even louder than the song coming out of the speakers.

Once he was on the landing, he looked in every open room he found, but she wasn't there. Most of the rooms were full of couples, dancing or kissing or drinking or ...other things. He didn't want to have to think about what someone could do to Nanami here. It made him far too anxious.

Eventually, he had to climb another flight of stairs up to where the music was quieter. His ears were ringing, and sweat was making part of his fringe stick to his forehead. Masato wiped his brow on his sleeve and sank down onto the carpet. He closed his eyes and listened to the voices on this floor. All couples talking. He tried to filter out the different conversations one by one, like they were instrumental parts in a symphony. The loudest must have been coming from the room closest to him:

_So you and Ranmaru are cousins? I should've known._

Definitely not _her_ voice.

He sifted through the others, discarding each female voice he heard as 'not _hers_'. All the conversations were embarrassing, frankly. Far too personal for Masato's liking; he felt so rude for listening in, and tried to forget each one as he went on to the next. Then he heard something worth his time:

'But don't you like me?'

'You're very kind, but I-'

'Then what's so wrong?'

Masato jumped up from the floor and listened at each door for the voices, finally stopping outside the second door from the end on the right hand side. He took a deep breath, gripped the door handle with shaking fingers, and then pulled it open abruptly.

It was a bedroom, probably for guests, and the only light came from the full moon outside the huge windows. There was a large bed, with the covers still made up, and a tall, gothic-style wardrobe and dressing table.

And there she was.

Haruka had not had any expectations when she'd left for the party in her favourite sky-blue dress. She'd never been to a house party before, and was quite shocked when she actually got there and saw how chaotic it all was. People were drinking alcohol like it was fruit juice, and the music was too loud and didn't make any sense. It had felt like her first trip to the city all over again.

She'd been hanging around with Syo and Natsuki, but then some older girls with uncomfortable-looking clothes had started talking to them, and Haruka had slipped away after realising that she was no longer wanted. She'd sat down on the stairs to clear her head, when a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

'Hey,' said a low, soft voice, 'You ok?' It belonged to a tall boy with reddish brown hair and hazel eyes. He was very good-looking, but she hadn't noticed at first: her head was spinning with sound and movement, too much at once.

'Too loud...' she'd mumbled, wincing at the sound of even her own voice.

'You wanna go somewhere quieter?' His hands were resting on her shoulders, stroking her hair playfully. It felt calming somehow, and all she wanted to do was get out of the noise, so she nodded quickly.

'Come on then.'

And he'd led her, ever so gently, up the stairs and into this room with large windows and the huge bed. She'd sat down and hugged her legs, taking deep breaths and trying to focus again; and all the while he was caressing her hair or rubbing her shoulders. Slowly, the noise died down inside her head, and the world moved far slower.

Haruka opened her eyes and looked up at the auburn-haired boy, smiling gratefully. He was so polite, just trying to calm her down without her even telling him what the problem was. His hands were so restful, moving up and down her arms. She felt herself blush a little at his touch, but he just smiled kindly and carried on.

Their faces were so close that she could feel his hot, gentle breath on her cheeks, and it came as no surprise to her when he lifted up her chin and their lips met. In spite of this, Haruka let out a little gasp as she realised that she was actually being kissed by someone for the first time. She felt very light and delicate, like a flower made up of emotions and sensation. His lips were reverent; she could tell that he understood what she was feeling.

The boy was kissing her softly at first, but every time they paused to take a half-second breath, he became more and more desperate and frustrated. He clung to her, relishing every sound he heard and trying to make her understand what it was he wanted with his mouth and his hands.

Haruka wasn't enjoying it anymore; suddenly she was thinking about who she was kissing, and where he had taken her to. But for some reason, he wasn't letting them break apart.

Then his hands started snaking down inside her dress, and Haruka pulled back sharply at his touch on her bare skin.

'Thank you for your help...I'm going back downstairs now,' she said, her voice trembling. He looked very hurt.

'But don't you like me?'

'You're very kind, but I-'

'Then what's the problem?'

He began to reach out towards her again, but then light flooded the room, silhouetting a figure in the doorway.

'Nanami-san!' it shouted, rushing at the two of them. But as the figure ran, it blurred and morphed, stretching out until the loud, heavy shadows took over the light. Haruka felt her head hit the soft mattress beneath her, and wondered who that voice belonged to... it sounded so familiar... but everything was just too loud and she couldn't hear...

Masato stared out of the car windscreen, listening to the sounds of the night outside. It was a clear, warm one, and the sky was full of stars, but his mind was occupied with questions closer to home.

Who was that guy? Masato wondered. Did Nanami know him from somewhere, or could it be that they met tonight? He didn't want that to be the case at all, it felt horribly unfair: he had been polite and even distant from the girl he loved for far too long, and if some stranger could sweet-talk her in minutes, it meant that all his hiding had been for nothing.

Msato knew that he was being unreasonable; after all, Nanami couldn't have known about his affections.

Or could she? It made sense, now that he thought about it: if she had noticed and wasn't interested, then she could just disregard him since he had never tried to keep her for himself. Maybe he should have done...

Nanami stirred in the passenger seat, and Masato was instantly on his guard. If his latest theory proved true, then she could read him like a book.

'Hijirikawa-san?' she said, blinking away sleep, 'Where are we?'

'We're in my car, outside the Master Course building. I called for it to be brought to the party, and drove us back,' he explained shortly, trying not to let her see how much he was aware of her presence, and how glad he was of it, and how worried he had been, and how much time he had spent thinking about her, and ...so much more.

'Thank you very much... Hijirikawa-san...' Nanami was crying, in small hiccupping sobs. 'You... you... I'm so sorry!' and she covered her reddened face with her hands.

Masato stared at her in shock. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to hold her close, but after what had happened, surely she wouldn't want any male contact for some time yet. He went through all the things he could say to her, and eventually settled on,

'W-Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything...'

She glanced up at him with pitiful eyes.

'I know. That's why I'm sorry. He was- He kept on- And I didn't do anything- But I should have.'

She looked away again, out into the darkened car park, and her voice became quieter and less frantic.

'I've never been kissed before. It felt wonderful.' Something deep inside Masato twisted, in anger and pain. She had enjoyed the kiss, the kiss that he'd had to hold himself back from. He felt sick, but Nanami, oblivious, kept speaking.

'But then he tried to...you know, go too far... And I realised something. What's the point of a girl's first kiss? It can't be any better than others she might have in future, you just don't know.' She turned a little, and looked out of the windscreen, her eyes shimmering. Masato got the feeling that she was talking more to herself than to him, a privileged eavesdropper.

'People build first kisses up to be a turning point, and I used to think that that was true... But doesn't it matter who it is that kisses you? And isn't it more about who you love than who you are attracted to?'

He was elated. He had a chance, but only one. And he wasn't going to waste any more time. Well, he could spare a short while. After all, if you wanted to do something well, you had to prepare for it.

Haruka watched Hijirikawa as he began to warm up at the grand piano, his back to her. His mid-length, deep blue hair was as beautiful as it was unusual, somehow both deep and vibrant at once; it swayed about a little as he moved to reach the higher or lower notes. His eyes too, although she could not presently see them, were the almost the same colour, with the same shining-yet-blended effect. She wondered why he never showed himself off more, he was actually very handsome. He was tall with lean, toned muscles that she could tell were there if she looked; even his body was subtle.

She'd started noticing him more and more since Quartet Night's party, trying to see through the quiet boy to the brave one who had saved her from... Haruka still wasn't ready to face what could have happened that night. But he'd still saved her, and for that she was infinitely grateful, as well as being not a little touched.

'Nanami-san.'

She jumped and squeaked out,

'Hm?' having been caught off guard. He had turned to face her, and she was struck by the strong lines of his face, as well as that tiny mole under his right eye, the only flaw in his pale skin, and yet it made him look even more perfect somehow.

'Hm?' she said carelessly, and then kicked herself for saying it twice. What if he'd noticed?

'I just wanted to say that the song I'm about to play you is actually yours, I just wrote the lyrics,' he said, before adding humbly, 'I hope you like it.'

Haruka had no doubt that she would love whatever he'd written. Hijirikawa began to play a short introduction, just a couple of bars, and then he sang, much clearer and louder than she'd expected, a melody that she remembered writing: she'd composed it one day when she was feeling particularly wistful and romantic, daydreaming about love and the future.

_It's cold outside the windows of my mind,_

_So I stay inside and think of things,_

_That I could do or you could say._

_It's dark outside but here your eyes are full of light_

_So I'll stay beside you and think of things_

_That I should say._

_Would you let me_

_Stay by your side a while,_

_I promise I'll smile,_

_Because you make me smile._

_Would you let me_

_Live a little longer in dreaming_

_Before we're needed again in the world of waking up._

_You and I are together in my mind, all the time,_

_But I keep this as mine for always,_

_Because you are so far away._

_I'm cold outside the windows of my mind,_

_Because I try not to tell you things_

_That I couldn't say_

_Until today._

_Would you let me_

_Stay by your side a while,_

_I promise I'll smile,_

_Because you make me smile._

_Would you let me_

_Live a little longer in dreaming_

_Before we're needed again in the world of waking up._

_Wake up,_

_Stand up,_

_Take up arms._

_Wake up,_

_Stand up,_

_Take my arms._

_Wake up (Would you let me)_

_Stand up (Stay by your)_

_Take up arms (side a while)_

_Wake up (promise I'll)_

_Stand up (smile, and)_

_Take my arms (you make me smile)_

_Would you let me_

_Live a little longer in dreaming_

_Before we're needed again in the world of waking up._

The last word was sung without any piano accompaniment, and seemed to ring through the room. Haruka stared in amazement at the blue-haired boy sitting at the piano in front of her. The song was so tender, but beneath it all lay a sadness that comes with any dream or story: all fantasies must end someday.

Masato stood up silently, shuffled the music into a pile and walked out of the room, carefully closing the door behind him. He'd done it. He'd said everything he had wanted to say for so long, and yet he was being such a coward and walking away from any possible confirmation of his emotions.

What was the point if he didn't turn around and face her? But he kept walking nonetheless. She probably hadn't understood, or even if she had he'd almost certainly been right about her disinterest in him. It made sense.

'Hijirikawa-san!' A shout bounced off the walls down the low-roofed corridor. Masato turned to face the girl walking towards him in an agitated manner.

'Hijirikawa-san,' she said again once they were only a few feet apart. 'I never thanked you properly. For getting me out of that room, I mean. No one's ever done anything like that for me before, so...' she took a deep breath, then said resolutely 'I accept.'

'Accept what?' She was confusing him. He hadn't asked her anything directly. Or did she mean...

'Er...' Nanami's ears turned a little pink and she brushed her hair back nervously. 'I'd like to... I'd like to go out sometime. Together. As in, you know... Like a date, or something. I got your message, Hijirikawa-san.'

His heart beat fluctuated as she smiled at him; he could feel himself turning red.

'That's...that's great I... I... Just tell me where and when and...' Masato swallowed and tried to focus, but inside him, something had been set free. He'd thought that if he told Nanami how he felt, then everything would be easy again, but what had made the difference was when she'd said yes.

She'd said yes!

'Oh, and Hijirikawa-san,' Nanami added shyly. 'Can I have the music for that song?'

She stepped forward, and Masato bent over slightly to hand her the manuscript paper, because of the slight height difference. Nanami was just about to turn away, when suddenly, out of the blue, she spun back and planted a kiss on Masato's cheek before darting away, like a child in a playground.

He watched her rush out of sight, and then remembered everything that had just happened all at once. Masato wondered if he'd ever wake up from this daydream. He hoped he wouldn't have to.


	8. TokiyaHaruka Frozen Until

**Hi readers. Sorry it's been a while (too long, I'm afraid), but I've been having trouble with this one. I should probably be unbiased and distant, as I wield my foot-long quill and stare wistfully into the creative distance... But let's be real, I want to do my personal favourite member of STARISH proud! Thanks again for sticking with it, and/or reading it for the first time. That means so much to me, and I hope you enjoyed every confession and song. Quartet Night are waiting in the wings, but first...**

The dream came to her in the early hours of the morning.

She was running, screaming and laughing with all the other children in the cold air. They all had their mittens on, and her yellow rubber boots made a flup-flup-flup sound as she darted away from the boys. She felt so beautiful, like a grown-up princess, making them follow her and promising them kisses.

The wind combed icy fingers through her streaming hair, and she clutched at her hat, pretending that she didn't need to wear it. The grass she ran through never seemed to end; it stretched out for miles into the horizon, but she didn't mind. The chase was fun, it didn't have to end.

There were only a few of them behind her, but every time she turned back, their number seemed to grow, and so did they. They grew taller, and their faces more serious. Their manner slowly changed from playful competition to desperation; they sprinted towards her, crying out for her hands, her lips, her smile, anything.

In her head there were two girls all of a sudden: the young one, running through the frost, and the dreaming girl, watching from the outside, but unable to change what was going on. As the child grinned back carelessly at the tormented boys, proud of herself for being so fast and pretty, the dreamer stared at them in shock and pity. How could one girl be so naive to such obvious emotions? Did she know how cruel she was being? Surely not.

The pace of the game grew faster; the tiny girl was going at lightning speed, whilst her pursuers thinned out into a longer line with huge gaps. No one seemed to have a chance of catching her. They slowly gave up, one by one, dropping out of the race, tired of the heartbreaking games.

The yellow wellies slowed down, flup-flup-flup against her shins, and eventually sank down into the grass. Why had the others all stopped? She was still the beautiful princess, wasn't she? What was so wrong with her that they should all leave? She felt the cold stinging her cheeks. The wind wasn't so nice any more, it was blowing her coat open and now she was freezing.

Then, out of the misty park, came a boy. The last one. He was completely out of breath. His forehead was covered in that awful cold-hot sweat you can only get in winter under thick layers of clothing. He looked like he was about to cry.

And yet he was smiling down at her. The child stared back in amazement. He was even more beautiful than she had believed herself to be. He could be the handsome rescuer, the strong peasant boy who climbed the castle walls to the highest turret to save her.

'Come on.' His gloved hand was as warm as his voice.

As he pulled her to her feet, the girl grew up. She wasn't wearing wellies any more, she had snow-boots on. She was still short, but at least the chest height of the boy in front of her.

He looked at her, his eyes twinkling in the frosty light. No more kiss-chase. He'd kept on running even after the game had ended. The girl felt very special, in a different way somehow. She didn't _need_ to be the beautiful princess any more, but she had turned into one after he'd taken her hand. He must be made of magic.

She knew who he was now.

He was her prince.

We always know the best dreams from the point at which we wake. Nightmares go on for far too long, and deep, black sleep is so comfortable that we must be dragged into the real world afterwards. But the dreams we enjoy the most, dreams of adventure or romance, in which everything is crystal clear, always end just before... Before what? That is what we'll never know.

Haruka blinked and stared across her room at the piano without seeing it, trying to hold onto the fragments of the dream before it faded from her mind. There had been grass, and a race of some sort? She remembered running, but she didn't know who from, or why. Someone had caught up with her... A boy, a tall boy.

But who? 'Tall' wasn't helpful, considering her small size. Everyone was 'tall' to her. And 'boy' could be so many people. Haruka had heard someone say once that in dreams, we sometimes see faces or people that we've only caught a glimpse of in a public place and never even met.

Somehow, it felt very important that she should know who the tall boy was. She didn't know why exactly, but struggled to recall any other details about the dream, fighting the urge to let it slip away. She grabbed a notepad and pen, and scribbled down everything she could remember.

Grass, race, running (from who?), tall boy, cold, mittens, dark eyes.

Haruka nodded triumphantly after writing 'dark eyes' down. That was another thing she hadn't forgotten. So, the person in the dream was tall, a boy, and had dark eyes. Was it someone she knew from the Master Course? She couldn't be sure, but she guessed 'yes' after remembering how familiar the dream had felt.

It was a start, but it probably wouldn't get her anywhere. She sighed, put down the paper and pen, and got out of bed. What good would a dream do?

Ichinose Tokiya hummed a tune, deep in thought whilst trying to work out a sudoku puzzle. The train was almost empty, and he could hear the wind blowing the rain against the skylights, drumming them from above his head. He finished a box, and then realised what tune it was that was stuck in his head.

_Piyo, Piyo, Piiii-yo, Piyo-Piyo-chan,_

_Piyo-chan no tamago, yoroshiku desu!_

Tokiya rubbed his temples and groaned. Why couldn't his subconscious have chosen a better song? Natsuki's advert was all over the TV at the moment, fully equipped with a jingle designed to disrupt everyone's lives. Tokiya was happy for him, of course he was, but that _song_. He decided to find something else to hum, anything but Piyo-chan.

He eventually settled on the tune Haruka had written for him recently. She'd given it to him just a yesterday, but he'd already memorized it. Those few years working as HAYATO had made him quite proficient at learning songs very quickly. Sometimes his agent would tell him to record a new song one evening, where he could read the music, and perform it the next, choreography included.

Haruka's latest song was lilting and gentle, like a lullaby. The melody was written to sound simple, but the chord structure and phrasing was actually quite unusual, not sticking to the standard pop-song pattern. Tokiya loved it. He thought it sounded mysterious, almost addictive, and yet still had the beautiful heartfelt qualities that Haruka always obliviously put in. No wonder they were all in love with her.

These thoughts were too emotional for sudoku, but he did try to carry on, before inevitably giving in.

He'd noticed it quite a while ago, but he was almost certain that none of the others had spotted it. The little glances, overly eager conversations...it hadn't even been that difficult to see once he'd realised. Of course, the girl herself had no clue.

Tokiya knew his own feelings very well, he too was deeply in love with Haruka. Not full of constant passion, just ...bonded. He was devoted to her, and yet he also knew that he was just another one of many. The whole of STARISH had fallen for her, unusual but true, and Tokiya suspected that even some of their seniors had begun to notice that 'special something' that Haruka had.

He was even fairly sure of when each member had fallen for her. Otoya first, as soon as they'd met, shortly followed by Syo. He suspected that Masato and Natsuki were both close behind those two, but in Masato's case, he didn't realise it until later. Ren had begun by making Masato jealous, but ended up in exactly the same position, about the time his first song was played over the loudspeakers in Saotome Academy. Then Tokiya himself had been struck by his own emotions, and had almost confessed. (He looked back on that moment in disbelief now. How could he have been so bold about it all, even if it was only 'almost'?) Cecil had apparently been in love with Haruka since before he'd met him, so he wasn't certain of precisely where he fit in.

They were all in the same boat now though, each too overwhelmed to say a word, and all unaware of the rivalry between them. If the rest of STARISH ever found out what every other member thought of their composer, the consequences could be disastrous.

Outside, a train pulled into the station, right on time.

A dance song. The principal had wanted a dance song with a catchy beat. So why couldn't she just write one?

Haruka sighed. She couldn't focus on anything but her dream, and it was coming through in her writing. Every song she tried to create at her little upright piano just slipped into a sort of spinning...something . And Haruka just kept playing it; no matter how much she tried to add in some catchy rhythms or harmonies for STARISH to sing. Even thinking about how the boys might perform their unwritten new song wouldn't motivate her.

The truth was that she didn't want this new song to be sung by anyone but the boy who had inspired it. Those dark eyes... Haruka had already mentally ruled out a few STARISH members: Syo, Cecil, Shinomiya and Jinguji, all of whom had lighter-coloured eyes. Just as attractive of course, especially when they stared so deeply into her own, but not the _right_ ones.

That just left Hijirikawa, Ichinose and Ittoki. (She didn't know whether red eyes were dark enough or light enough to be either in her dream or not.)

Haruka gave in and carefully notated the new song on some manuscript paper. She 'la-la'd it as each note formed on the pages, the same way some people say the words they write aloud, but she soon noticed that there wasn't just one melody line: she had unconsciously composed a duet. But why? And more importantly, who was it for?

The rain tapped on windows and pavements for the rest of the week, in a continuous spatter of water. The air was always wet, and the wind blew huge sheets of damp into the faces of anyone who dared to venture outdoors.

This indoor weather was affecting the Master Course participants in different ways. Syo was becoming more and more restless and obnoxious, being unable to train away his boundless energy, and he took his irritation out on anyone closest to him, which, as always, was usually Natsuki. Natsuki himself, however, felt nothing but sympathy for his friend, and tried to support him by being as close to him as possible; and so the cycle continued. Masato and Ren were arguing far more often, and much louder too, having to be in close proximity for longer than was comfortable for either of them. Otoya's frequent attempts to 'lift people's spirits' were ignored, and what Cecil thought was wisdom on his part only annoyed everyone further. Needless to say, Quartet Night spent as much time out of the war zone as possible.

Only Tokiya and Haruka were calm, not that anyone noticed. They stayed in their respective rooms, thinking things through and patiently waiting for something to happen, for they knew that something would. To them, the whole world seemed on edge, like a glass of water, hardly able to balance. Soon it would tip over, and the water would spill, but whether the glass would shatter or not, neither could tell.

'_Sumimasen_, Ichinose-san, but would you mind helping me with something?'

The large, round golden eyes stared up at him, and Tokiya knew that he was looking at the two envies of loli girls everywhere. She had appeared silently, but he had noticed her coming in regardless. _How had she known he was in this room?_ The others were all attempting some board game; in the unlikely situation that it would end well, Tokiya would have to come up with an excuse as to why he hadn't joined in.

'What is it you'd like me to do, Nanami-san?' he answered quietly. He wondered whether she realised that if they stared at each other for too long, then anyone else would have gotten the wrong idea. Probably not.

'I've written a duet, and I'd be honoured to have you sing it with me, just to hear how it sounds.' Why did it feel like she was hiding something? Tokiya knew those eyes better than his own, he'd practised reading them over a hundred times. There was definitely something she was leaving out here, but knowing Haruka, it probably wasn't anything malicious.

He nodded and followed her out of the room. They walked together in silence through the long corridors, the only sound was the rain thudding against the glass panes. Tokiya was wondering whether he should say something about the song she'd already given him, but kept deciding against it, since it seemed arrogant that he hadn't written any lyrics for it yet. Haruka, on the other hand, was desperately trying to foresee how much the boy would guess after singing the duet.

The cramped little room could just about squeeze in the grand piano it held, but not much else. Haruka slipped through the door to sit down on the piano stool, but Tokiya had to carefully edge his way to the L-shaped gap by the instrument's side. He gasped when he saw that there was no opposite wall, and the room was completely exposed by a huge window to the Master Course grounds.

'I come here alot to write and practise,' said the girl shyly. 'It's quiet, and no one ever comes in. I don't think many other people know it's here, you can't see it from below. I thought it was such a sad place at first; this piano's such a good one but it's been overlooked. Here,' she handed Tokiya two pieces of paper, 'This is your part. I hope it makes sense.'

Haruka took a deep breath to calm herself. She had never written lyrics before, and had hardly ever sung in front of anyone in her life. She had been told that she had a nice singing voice, but she had never thought that 'nice' was anything special. And now it was _him_ that she was singing to.

Tokiya had been the boy in her dream, she was certain of that now. She'd always deeply admired him, as HAYATO she'd idolized him. It was his praise that meant the most to her whenever she presented STARISH with a new song, but it didn't come often. He was so often silent and thoughtful.

Before she could stress herself out any further, Haruka started playing the eight beat introduction of the duet. No backing out now.

(Note: Italic lyrics are Haruka, bold are Tokiya, and both italic and bold mean unison.)

_I hear the night outside_

_And yet it's almost dawn_

_I feel the floods, the wind of the hurricanes_

_And I am feeling so_

_Small._

_I don't matter at all._

Tokiya was spellbound by her voice. If they had been on a stage, he would have held her in his arms, the two of them staring out beyond the audience. But then... if they had been on a stage, nothing about the moment would have been for each other. He took a breath in, after one last glance at Haruka.

**Am I alone out here?**

**I recall another soul**

**You were beside me; you were next to me,**

**And now I need you once**

**More.**

**Every day I need you more.**

_**Like statues just too far apart**_

_**Every time we touch, it breaks my heart to say**_

_**That I am still**_

_**Waiting.**_

**I've watched you, I've loved you, torn apart,**

**Every time I tried, **_every time you walked away._

_I am still,_

**I am still,**

_**Waiting.**_

**Still as stone**

**Still as summer on a clouded day,**

**I'll know tonight what I could never know**

_**How to change **_

_**Time.**_

_**Am I running out of time?**_

_**Like statues just too far apart**_

_**Every time we touch, it breaks my heart to say**_

_**That I am still**_

_**Waiting.**_

**I've watched you, I've loved you, torn apart,**

**Every time I tried, **_every time you walked away._

_I am still,_

**I am still,**

_**Waiting.**_

_Still never dare to move too close_

_What if the dream was wrong?_

_What if I'm right?_

**Still hours pass and still I see**

**The future darkens in**

**Your fading light.**

_I wait alone, _**I wait alone.**

_**Still.**_

_**Like dreamers just too far apart**_

_**Every time we lose, it's not enough to say**_

_**That I am still**_

_**Waiting.**_

_I remember your face that night, torn apart,_

_Every time I tried,_** every time you walked away.**

**I am still,**

_I am still,_

_**Waiting.**_

_**Waiting.**_

_**Waiting.**_

_**Still.**_

They looked at one another with exactly the same expression: a hopeful fear, happiness so loud, so great that it hurt.

Haruka stood up, still staring across at him, and shifted out from behind the piano stool. She made no move to collect her music or even speak. The two of them were as motionless as the song had just described, as though a fairy tale spell had fallen upon them.

'I didn't know you could sing like that.'

His own words surprised him, as they hung in the glass air. He couldn't remember saying them, or even wanting to speak at all. They had simply happened.

'I hope you liked the song.'

She broke away from his gaze, and looked at the floor instead, even though she was willing herself to go on looking at him, and to carry on feeling so shockingly at peace. _Something has changed,_ she thought. Nothing would ever be quite the same.

The rainy spell passed, and their lives carried on without hesitation. STARISH toured Japan for the second time, even more successfully than the first since they had Quartet Night performing with them. Haruka was happier than ever to be doing what she loved with her closest friends, and so was Tokiya, and yet...

Something had changed. The comforting wall between them was no longer whole: there was a small hole in the brickwork, not obvious to the naked eye of an outsider. Sometimes, one of them would take a tiny peek through at the other, hoping against hope that their invisible signals would be recognised. But that was the furthest either of them ventured for another three months.

'Well boys, I think it's time you all took a break-uh!' shouted a man in sunglasses, balancing atop a huge tower of beach-ball-sized fruit. He had gotten very high up, considering that the office was usually a standard size, but strange theatrics from the one and only Shining Saotome were characterized by the fact that things were never what they seemed.

'_Shachou_? A break?' The small group of people gaped at him, completely taken aback.

'YYYYYYEEEEESSSS!' The principal leapt from the inflatable orange he had been bouncing on. 'A rest from concerts! You've been performing nonstop, and you need a holiday! You will all stay at the beach for four weeks to cool off before we begin on your first...ALBUM!'

There were gasps and murmurs from the band, their seniors and their composer. Four weeks was more than enough... but surely it would pass by in a flash... it was all going to be the best fun holiday ever...would they get to wear cute summer clothes?...what would the beaches be like?...

Haruka tried not to blush at the thought of Tokiya in swimming shorts. She had seen that sight before, a year or so ago when she'd had to 'choose her partner', but now it would be the most skin he'd shown since they'd sung together... She couldn't help wondering how she had turned into such a strange person. If anyone else could read her mind, what would they think of her? That she was stupid? Disgusting?

Lonely?

She sat down on her suitcase lid, trying to push all her weight and heavy thoughts onto it. He had been on her mind for far too long, and it didn't help that they saw each other every day.

Pictures and second-long visions of him cluttered her brain, popping out when she least expected it. Of course there were memories of times they'd spent together, like the duet, or that secret outing to a festival they'd had, but more often than not it was just tiny things.

The straight-backed way he walked, his navy-blue hair falling over his brow, his quiet, rare contributions to conversations, even meaningless things like the way he almost caressed the microphone when he sang softly, or how he would always start stairs at a quick run, then slow down on the third or fourth step. Haruka knew the word 'love', but she also knew the words 'attraction' and 'obsession', and wasn't quite sure where any of them fit into her situation.

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, she saw that she was a little earlier than she had expected. She swept a stray lock of hair behind her ears and checked her list of things to pack. Everything seemed to be there.

The notepad in her hands spread out its pages as Haruka loosened her grip on it, the way books do once they have been read or written in. She looked down at the pages of things she'd written at countless random moments; Haruka was one of those people who just always _need_ a notebook, for whatever reason. There were lists of groceries she'd had to buy, reminders to collect _this_, recycle _that_ and take back _the other_ from whoever she'd lent it to.

But then the next page she turned was blank, except for eleven scribbled words that had obviously been written in a hurry.

_Grass, race, running (from who?), tall boy, cold, mittens, dark eyes._

Her dream. It had been months ago. She had almost forgotten the reason she had written that duet, much preferring to treasure the memory of singing it with...

A tall boy, with dark eyes, who could sing like nobody else could. A tall boy, with dark eyes, who never seemed to say enough, but who could make Haruka blush at the very thought of him. A boy, not quite a man; his age made him difficult to interpret, and even harder to predict. A boy she loved.

Her suitcase finally clicked shut, and the girl left the room, pausing to switch off the lights at the door. The skirts of her dress brushed against her legs as she walked down the corridors, wheeling the case behind her. This surprise holiday was going to change something. Something would break, but what would it be?

The sun dazzled him as it set below the horizon. The warmth playing across his body would last for perhaps another hour, due to the long summer evenings on the island. It was calm here, and he liked it that way. Somehow, though, he wasn't particularly at ease.

Tokiya had come to love the colours of a sunset, because they reminded him of her. Soft orange and blushing pink. Blazing, passionate red. Unattainable gold.

He was worried. Sick to the back teeth of not being able to act on his own impulse. Nanami Haruka had allowed him the chance to seize his dreams, and yet he was still ungrateful, always wanting. Sunbathing and the beach were all very well, but they hadn't helped him forget her. Tokiya clenched his fists.

'Here you are! I wondered where you- Woah, this spot is awesome! What a view...' Otoya slumped down into the deck-chair beside his room-mate. Trust him to find the loneliest, prettiest place on the whole island and not tell anyone about it. Otoya had been searching for his friend all afternoon, and now Tokiya looked anything but pleased to see him.

'Huh? Are you alright?' The stern face was completely still, but Otoya could read every line in it. The tight jaw, the staring, narrowed eyes...Something was up. It was time to interrogate.

'What are you thinking about? I am here to help you, you know.' The friend-in-need tactic.

'Heellooo-ooohh? Anybody home?' The 'question-his-intelligence' tactic, which included a hand waving over the eyes of the victim.

'Hey, Icchi. Wassup.' The annoying nickname.

'Please, Tokiya! I'm getting really worried now!' The guilt-trip.

'WHAT IS WRONG JUST TELL ME ALREADY?! PLEASE, I CAN'T STAND YOUR PAINFUL SILENCE!'

As the red-haired boy rolled around on the sand, clutching at the air and wailing to the highest heavens, he noticed out of the corner of one eye that his roommate was beginning to crack. A tiny grin wriggled its way across his set lips, and a tiny snort escaped from the ever silent Ichinose Tokiya. Soon he was giggling, and once he had really burst out laughing, Otoya knew that he had won. He would get an answer.

'So what's the problem?' he asked again, casually, as their laughter died away. The chastened Tokiya replied with a wry smile.

'I... You see it's... There's this girl I like...'

'WHAT?!' Otoya jumped onto his feet, causing Tokiya to start laughing again, 'You mean it? You... You've got girl problems?! But you're... I mean you're ICHINOSE TOKIYA for goodness' sake, you would NEVER have girl problems! ...Unless,' he added slyly, as though he hadn't even thought of it up to now, 'You haven't told her yet, have you?'

Silence.

'Ah-hah, so! You're in love, but you haven't confessed yet, and you want to?'

A slight shake of the head, making the dark hair fall into the darker eyes.

'So you DON'T want to?'

Another slight shake.

Otoya was now thoroughly baffled, just when they had been getting somewhere. He did or he didn't, there was no other option. Was there?

'I... I thought I'd already confessed, sort of. Or she'd confessed to me, kind of both at once. But nothing's happened for months now and...' Tokiya was mortified to be admitting this all to someone, but he knew he couldn't solve this mess alone.

'And now I don't know whether I should try and tell her again.'

The problem spoken aloud seemed much simpler than it actually was. Of course, Tokiya couldn't even tell his closest friend who it was he was in love with, because he was almost certain that Otoya was in love with Haruka too. He felt unbelievably guilty, asking his friend to unwittingly break his own heart.

That is, _if_ Haruka felt something for Tokiya _then_ Otoya's heart would break _if_ he ever found out. _If, if, if._

'I think you should tell her.' Otoya interrupted.

'What?'

'Go ahead. Do it,' he repeated, shrugging. 'Then, if you think she's almost already confessed to you, there's a higher chance of her saying yes, right?'

'Um.'

'Exactly. And you won't know until you do, anyway. Best get it over with.' He shrugged again, and began walking back up the beach, pausing only once to wave at Tokiya and give him the thumbs-up sign. 'I'll see you at dinner!'

Out, as far as anyone could see, the sun sank below the ocean waves, its final golden sliver disappearing. It left the sand looking purple and grey, and the shadows stretching from each wavering line of it grew longer and wider. The temperature dropped suddenly, and the summer breeze was no longer as kind.

A small boy picked up a ball and threw it to his sister. A mother realised that her family's dinner was ready. A young man, looking out to sea, made a decision it had taken him two and a half years to realise was the only answer all along. He would have to tell her.

When Haruka finally got back to her part of the villa, it was practically night outside. She had been playing a never-ending tournament of chess with Natsuki, Syo and Masato. It had gone on so long because neither Syo nor Masato could stand to lose, so they kept on demanding rematches. (The score when she'd left had been N:1, S:9 and M:12.)

She walked down the paved pathways between the buildings, remembering to take a right here, a left there and so on. Her sandals and summer skirt made her feel almost fairy-like, and, since no one was looking, Haruka put a little more skip into her steps, and lifted her arms outwards as though she were a bird. New clothes, or clothes for certain situations, always felt like costumes to her.

One more corner and she'd be at her door, so she fished her key from her pocket in advance. It rattled satisfyingly in her hand, and reassured her that it was not lost yet. But once she stood in front of her door, Haruka realised that she didn't want to go into her room, not yet. The night was such a beautiful one, after all.

The darkened trees twisted in and out of each other, their leaves rustling in the warm breeze high above the rooftops of the villa. Yellow, electric lamps lining the rails by the path were far outshone by the moon and stars. Before moving to the city, Haruka could remember her grandmother pointing out all the constellations to her, and she could see some of them now. They made her feel nostalgic.

'Nanami-san.'

She started, and stumbled back.

Ichinose Tokiya walked carefully down the three steps to stand right in front of her. He looked beyond handsome, his features outlined in shadow. His hair was tousled, from being in saltwater presumably, and it suited him to look a little rushed. This was just so... _unlike_ him.

Haruka was stunned. They had hardly spoken in months, barely a conversation since after that duet, and now the very person that she was so confused by was approaching her looking, of all things, worried?

'I-Ichinose-san!' she blurted, 'Um, did you want something?' What else could she have said? With Tokiya so close, Haruka's brain was going into overdrive: she was afraid of him, angry with him, almost in love with him, obsessed with him...and how is one teenage girl supposed to cope with all of that when the 'him' in question is only a metre or so away?

'I wanted to talk about something, actually. Something important.' He looked even more worried now. Haruka wondered if she'd done anything to offend him.

'I wanted to know... I was hoping you could explain why you wrote that duet all that time ago,' said Tokiya. He looked nervous, but his voice was clear as ever. 'Because there's something I have to tell you, but before I do, I want to know where I stand.'

'The duet? Oh, well,' she began, happy to oblige, 'I wrote it after I woke up from a very strange dream, where I was little, and I was playing...' Haruka realised what she was about to say. She winced and looked at the ground.

'This dream is a bit embarrassing to tell someone else about... Not like that! Just, sort of personal.' She took a deep breath.

'I was dreaming about playing kiss-chase as a child, across a long park, I think. It was cold, frosty, and I was running faster than any of the boys behind me. But I ran too fast, and they all gave up. So I sat down in the cold and I think I cried... I don't remember. Then, a grown up boy ran up to me who hadn't given up, and when you're small, every kind person older than you is a prince or a princess, right? Well, to me it was. So the boy lifted me onto my feet, and when he did that, I grew up. And the strange thing was, even though I was grown up, he was still a prince.'

Tokiya's palms were sweating. He could hardly bear to stand so close to Haruka talking like this and not speak. He could almost have just shouted it out and run off. But he didn't. He had to hear the ending.

'Then, once I'd woken up, I tried to remember everything about the dream, it just felt so inspiring. That was when I realised that I knew the prince from somewhere, but I wasn't sure who it was.

'The song began after that, a prince and princess unable to meet even though they loved one another. I asked you to sing it because...' _Because you were the prince and I love you, _she finished in her head. She couldn't say that aloud, not yet.

But Tokiya had heard enough. It didn't matter why now.

'I already said I had something to tell you, and I do. This will be a little embarrassing for me, and potentially for you too, so I'd like to be able to say it all uninterrupted, if that's alright.'

She nodded, surprised. Of course she would listen; this conversation was far better than awkward silences and avoidance.

'Since I stopped being HAYATO, I've felt much more honest with myself, about my work, my ambitions, about my own emotional wellbeing in particular. I took a good look at myself, mentally I mean, and decided to face up to everything. I dream of singing for crowds of people who enjoy listening to me, and that dream has been made reality, which I am eternally grateful for. I wanted to be less of a lonely person, and now I am part of a group, not just for work but because we are friends. Good friends, too.' His expression suddenly became one of seriousness, and yet Haruka could see a sad shimmer somewhere behind his eyes.

'But there's something else I have to face up to, which is that you, Nanami, are the reason for all of this. You believed in me even when, as HAYATO, I was unable to be myself. You have given me the chance to become twice the man I was. You are the most selfless, caring person I have ever known.

'And that is why I am in love with you.'

A tear rolled down Haruka's cheek and dropped onto her shoulder. She smiled at the tall boy in front of her, and tried to show him everything she was thinking in that moment with her eyes. Her happiness was boundless. Her love was more so. It was inside her, rising to the surface like bubbles of laughter, and she couldn't have stopped it even if she had wanted to.

Tokiya drank in the girl's expression, wondering if she would let him hold her in his arms. First he thought she wouldn't, since she was crying. Then he thought she would, because of her smile. And then he realised that he didn't care anymore.

Their arms held tight to one another, and their two foreheads pressed together. Gold and midnight blue stared into one another, creating another starlight night sky. It was Haruka who spoke first.

'_You were the prince. And I love you.' _

Then he knew he had to kiss her.

**That ending was so much fun to write! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did (I'm so self-centred sometimes). Apologies if you aren't as much of a Tokiya fan as me, who is more biased than the last episode of Season 1 of UtaPri on Tokiya's birthday waving a purple flag. Just saying. Bring on Quartet Night! (I still don't know that much about them, so I'll have to do some research. Oh well, I don't mind! ;D) Anyway, once again, and as always, thank you for reading and feel free to tell me your thoughts on any of the confessions or what you want to see in future! Oh, and I hope you all had good holidays and happy 2014 when it arrives! **


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